Canine and feline proteins, nucleic acid molecules and uses thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to canine and feline proteins. In particular, the present invention discloses feline interleukin-18, feline caspase-1, feline interleukin-12 single chain and canine interleukin-12 single chain proteins. The present invention also includes feline interleukin-18, feline caspase-1, feline interleukin-12 single chain and canine interleukin-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies and/or inhibitors, as well as their use to evaluate and regulate an immune response in an animal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/223,016, which was filed Aug. 4, 2000, entitled “CANINE AND FELINE PROTEINS, NUCLEIC ACID MOLECULES AND USES THEREOF”.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to canine and feline proteins. In particular, the present invention relates to feline interleukin-18 (IL-18), feline caspase-1 (casp-1), feline interleukin-12 (IL-12) single chain, and canine interleukin-12 (IL-12) single chain proteins and includes nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies and/or inhibitors, as well as their use to evaluate and regulate an immune response in an animal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Regulation of immune and inflammatory responses in animals is important in disease management. Immune responses can be regulated by modifying the activity of immunoregulatory molecules and immune cells. Examples of such immunoregulatory molecules include IL-18, caspase-1 and IL-12. These molecules have been found to play a role in the treatment of several disorders including allergy, cancer, and pathogenic infection.

[0004] Monocytes and macrophages represent the first line of defense against disease. Various diseases and infections activate transcriptional and posttranslational events in monocytes and macrophages, which lead to the production of cytokines such as IL-18 and IL-12. These cytokines in turn activate responses in T and B cells helping to eliminate pathogens and/or disease in a animal. Both IL-18 and IL-12 augment cellular immunity by stimulating T cells to produce interferon gamma (IFN-γ) which inhibits the production of IgE formation without compromising B cell proliferation. IL-18, formerly referred to as interferon gamma inducing factor (IGIF), stimulates T cells to produce IFN-γ and has been isolated from humans, dogs, and mice. A cDNA encoding human IL-18 was isolated and used to express recombinant human IL-18 by Ushio et al., 1996, J. Immunol.156, 4274-4279, GenBank accession number D49950. Feline IL-18 cDNA has a 85.8% homology to human IL-18 cDNA and feline IL-18 protein has a 81.7% homology to human IL-18 protein. A cDNA encoding canine IL-18 was isolated and used to express recombinant canine IL-18 by Okano et al., 1999, J. Interferon Cytokine Res. 19, 27-32, GenBank accession number Y11133. Feline IL-18 cDNA has a 90.7% homology to canine IL-18 cDNA and feline IL-18 protein has a 88.5% homology to canine IL-18 protein. A cDNA encoding murine IL-18 was isolated and used to express recombinant murine IL-18 by Okamura et al., 1995, Nature 378, 88-91, GenBank accession number D49949. Feline IL-18 cDNA has a 73.8% homology to murine IL-18 cDNA and feline IL-18 protein has a 70% homology to murine IL-18 protein. A cDNA encoding rat IL-18 was isolated by Culhane, et al. Mol. Psych. 3, 362-366 (1998), GenBank accession number AJ222813. Feline IL-18 cDNA has a 73.4% homology with rat IL-18 cDNA, and feline IL-18 protein has a 70.7% homology with rat IL-18 protein. A cDNA encoding equine IL-18 was isolated by Nicolson, et al. (unpublished, direct submission to GenBank, accession number Y11131). Feline IL18 cDNA has a 92% homology to equine IL-18 cDNA and feline IL-18 protein has a 89% homology to equine IL-18 protein. A cDNA encoding pig IL-18 was isolated by Penha-Goncalves, et al. (unpublished, direct submission to GenBank, accession number Y1 1132. Feline IL-18 cDNA has a 90.2% homology to pig IL-18 cDNA and feline IL-18 protein has a 85.9% homology to pig IL-18 protein. Expression of active IL-18 is controlled by caspase-1(IL -1 β converting enzyme). That is, IL-18 lacks a signal peptide so the precursor form of IL -18 (pro IL-18) is cleaved by caspase-1 resulting in a mature protein that is biologically active.

[0005] IL-12 is a heterodimer comprised of two subunits p40 and p35 which are covalently linked by a disulfide bond to form an active molecule. Simultaneous expression of the two subunits is necessary for the production of the biologically active heterodimer. Both human and murine p35 and p40 IL-12 single chain proteins (i.e., a single protein containing both p35 and p40 subunits) have been produced; see e.g., Lieschke et al., 1997, Nature Biotechnology 15, 35-40. Co-expression of the human and murine p35 and p40 cDNA subunits of IL-12 resulting in a biologically active IL-12 heterodimer was achieved by Gubler et al., 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 88, 4143-4147 and Schoenhaut et al., 1992, J. Immunol., 148, 3433-3440, respectively. cDNAs encoding canine IL-12 p35 and p40 subunits were isolated and co-transfected to express canine IL-12 by Okano et al., 1997, J. Interferon Cytokine Res. 17, 713-718. cDNAs encoding feline p35 and p40 subunits have been isolated and expressed; see, for example, Fehr et al., 1997, DNA Seq. 8, 77-82; Schijns et al., 1997, Immunogenetics 45, 462-463; Bush et al., 1994, Molec. Immunol. 31, 1373-1374. At the amino acid level, canine and feline IL-12 p40 subunit share 92.7 percent identity to each other; share 84.8 and 84.2 percent identity to human IL-12 p40, respectively; and share 67.4 and 68.9 percent identity to murine IL-12 p40, respectively. IL-12 shares some biological activities with IL-18 including IFN-γ production in T cells. IL-18 and IL-12 in combination work synergistically to increase IFN-γ production in T cells; as such these cytokines when utilized alone or in combination can be very effective in mediating IgE responses.

[0006] Caspase-1 may play a key role in the processing of IL-18 precursor in cells where IL-18 is produced. It may be that coexpression of caspase-1 along with IL-18 may be necessary for the proper processing of the IL-18 precursor and enhanced secretion of the processed IL-18 mature polypeptide. A cDNA encoding equine caspase-1 was isolated by Wardlow, et al. (unpublished; direct submission to GenBank, accession number AF090119). Feline caspase-1 cDNA has a 71 % homology to equine caspase-1 cDNA and feline caspase-1 protein has a 48.8% homology to equine caspase-1 protein. A cDNA encoding equine caspase-1 was isolated by Cerretti, et al. (Science 256, p 97-100 (1992); GenBank accession number M87507). Feline caspase-1 cDNA has a 60% homology to human caspase-1 cDNA and feline caspase-1 protein has a 60% homology to human caspase-1 protein. A cDNA encoding rat caspase-1 (called interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme) was isolated by Keane, et al. (Cytokine 7(2) 105-110 1995); GenBank accession number U14647). Feline caspase-1 cDNA has a 55.4% homology to rat caspase-1 cDNA and feline caspase-1 protein has a 40.2% homology to rat caspase-1 protein. A cDNA encoding murine caspase-1 was isolated by Molineaux, et al. (Proc Natl. Acad. Sci 90, 1809-1813, 1993); GenBank accession number L28095). Feline caspase-1 cDNA has a 55.7% homology to murine caspase-1 cDNA and feline caspase-1 protein has a 38.5% homology to murine caspase-1 protein. A cDNA encoding canine caspase-1 was isolated by Taylor, et al. (2000) DNA Seq. 10(6), pp 387-394; GenBank accession number AF135967). Feline caspase-1 cDNA has a 90% homology to canine caspase-1 cDNA.

[0007] To date, however, neither IL-18 nor caspase-1, nor the nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, have been isolated from cats. Neither have IL-12 single chain proteins been produced using feline or canine IL-12 subunits. As such there remains a need for compounds and methods to regulate an immune response in cats and dogs through manipulation of IL-1 8, caspase-1 and IL-12 single chain activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention relates to canine and feline proteins, nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to feline interleukin-18 (IL-1 8), feline caspase-1 (casp-1), feline interleukin-12 (IL-12) single chain and canine interleukin-12 single chain proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and inhibitors. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies and/or inhibitors, as well as their use to evaluate and regulate an immune response in an animal.

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO: 13; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 70 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 70 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, and SEQ ID NO:41; (b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ ID NO:25, and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 70 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 70 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ ID NO:25; (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 44 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 44 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:29;((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 44 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 44 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a feline IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (i); (d) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 47 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 47 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 47 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 47 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (i); (e) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:13; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of a nucleic acid molecule of (i) wherein said fragment is at least 80 nucleotides in length; (f) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ ID NO:25, and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of a nucleic acid molecule of (i) wherein said fragment is at least 85 nucleotides in length; (g) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:29, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length, such that said nucleic acid molecule (i) encodes a feline IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (i); and (h) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 55 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 55 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 55 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 55 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully The present invention also includes recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells comprising such IL-18, caspase-1, and IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules and methods to produce such nucleic acid molecules, recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein selected from the group consisting of ((a)) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ I) NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12, and ((b)) a protein comprising a fragment of a protein of ((a)), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length; and (ii) a protein comprising at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12; (b) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a caspase-1 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein selected from the group consisting of ((a)) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and ((b)) a protein comprising a fragment of a protein of ((a)), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length; and (ii) a protein comprising at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24; (c) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to a IL12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30 and wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36; (d) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to a IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, and wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50; (e) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (a), (b), (c), or (d). The present invention also includes recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells comprising such IL-18, caspase-1, and IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules and methods to produce such nucleic acid molecules, recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells.

[0011] Another embodiment of the present invention is an isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) an isolated protein of at least 25 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 25 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12; and (ii) an isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12 and a fragment thereof of at least 30 nucleotides; wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and (iii) exhibiting IL-18 activity; (b) an isolated caspase-1 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) an isolated protein of at least about 25 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 25 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24; and (ii) an isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24 and has a nucleic acid fragment thereof of at least 30 nucleotides; wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against a caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, (ii) ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and (iii) exhibiting caspase-1 activity; (c) an isolated IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to an IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30 and wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36; wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:39 and SEQ ID NO:44, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity; and (d) an isolated IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to an IL-12p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ I) NO:59; wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50; and wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity. The present invention also includes recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells comprising such IL-18, caspase-1, and IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules and methods to produce such nucleic acid molecules, recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells.

[0012] The present invention also includes an antibody that selectively binds to a protein of the present invention as well as methods to produce and use such proteins or antibodies. By selectively is meant an antibody that binds to a protein of the present invention, but does not bind a similar protein of another species.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is a therapeutic composition that, when administered to an animal, regulates an immune response in the animal. Such a therapeutic composition includes at least one of the following protective compounds: an IL-18, caspase-1, or IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention, a mimetope of any of the proteins, a multimeric form of any of the proteins, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, an antibody that selectively binds any of the proteins, and/or an inhibitor of a protein activity identified by its ability to inhibit the activity of any of the proteins. Also included is a method to regulate an immune response by administering such a therapeutic composition to an animal.

[0014] The present invention also includes a method to produce a protein of the present invention; such a method includes the step of culturing a recombinant cell capable of expressing a protein being encoded by a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of regulating an immune response in an animal, a method selected from the group consisting of: (a) contacting an isolated feline IL-18 protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the protein has T cell stimulating activity inducing T cells to make interferon gamma, and determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits that activity; (b) contacting an isolated feline caspase-1 protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the protein cleaves precursor form of IL-18 resulting in biologically active IL-18, and determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits that activity; and (c) contacting an isolated IL-12 single chain protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the protein has T cell proliferation stimulating activity, and determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits that activity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention provides for isolated feline and canine proteins, nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. Specifically, the present invention provides for isolated feline IL 18, feline caspase-1, and feline and canine IL-12 single chain proteins and nucleic acid molecules as well as antibodies raised against such proteins, and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. Also included in the present invention is the use of these proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, inhibitors and/or other compounds derived therefrom as therapeutic compositions to regulate the immune response of an animal as well as in other applications, such as those disclosed below.

[0017] One embodiment of the present invention is an isolated protein that includes a feline IL-1 8 protein, a feline caspase-1 protein, a feline IL-12 single chain protein and/or a canine IL 12 single chain protein. As used herein, a feline and/or canine protein refers to a protein. As used herein, a protein of the present invention is a protein that is isolated from a felid or a canid or is derived therefrom and can be produced by methods known in the art, such as, for example, using recombinant DNA technology or by chemical synthesis. As such, a feline or canine protein of the present invention includes natural forms as well as any variants thereof, such as a feline or canine protein that has been altered in a manner known to those skilled in the art, such as those methods disclosed herein. As used herein, a feline or canine protein does not refer to a mouse or human protein.

[0018] Similarly, a feline or canine nucleic acid molecule of the present invention includes a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule, a feline caspase-1 nucleic acid molecule, a feline IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule and/or canine IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule. As used herein a feline or canine nucleic acid molecule of the present invention refers to a nucleic acid molecule that includes a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a protein of the present invention and/or a complement thereof. As such, a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule, a feline caspase-1 nucleic acid molecule, a feline IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule or a canine IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a feline IL-18 protein, a feline caspase-1 protein, a feline IL-12 single chain protein or a canine IL-12 single chain protein, respectively, and/or that is a complement thereof. As used herein, a feline or canine nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is a nucleic acid molecule that is isolated from a felid or canid or is derived therefrom and can be produced using methods known in the art, such as, for example, recombinant DNA technology, or by chemical synthesis. As such, a feline or canine nucleic acid molecule of the present invention includes natural forms as well as any variants thereof, such as a feline or canine nucleic acid molecule that has been altered in a manner known to those skilled in the art, such as those methods disclosed herein. As used herein, a feline or canine nucleic acid molecule does not refer to a mouse or human nucleic acid molecule.

[0019] According to the present invention, an isolated, or biologically pure, nucleic acid molecule or protein, is a nucleic acid molecule or protein that has been removed from its natural milieu. As such, “isolated” and/or “biologically pure” do not necessarily reflect the extent to which the nucleic acid molecule or protein has been purified. “Proteins” are defined as any compounds which comprise amino acids, including peptides, polypeptides and fusion proteins. It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity; for example, a protein refers to one or more proteins or at least one protein. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, an item “selected from the group consisting of” refers to one or more of the items in that group, including combinations thereof. The term “fragment” refers to any subset of the referent nucleic acid molecule. Furthermore, the term “linked in frame” refers to nucleic acid fragment joined to another nucleic acid fragment in a manner such that the molecule is able to be expressed when transformed into a host cell.

[0020] As used herein, a felid refers to any member of the felid family (i.e. the family Felidae), including, but not limited to, domestic cats, and wild cats such as tigers, lions, and lynx. Similarly, the term feline refers to “of the family Felidae”.

[0021] As used herein, a canid refers to any member of the canid family (i.e. the family Canidae), including, but not limited to, domestic dogs, and wild canids such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Similarly, the term canine refers to “of the family Canidae”.

[0022] Nucleic acid molecules of the present invention of known length isolated from Felis catus are denoted as follows: a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule is denoted as nFeIL-18_(x), wherein “x” refers to the number of nucleotides in that molecule; for example, nFeIL-18₆₀₇ refers to a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule of 607 nucleotides in length; and in a similar fashion, a feline Casp-1 nucleic acid molecule of length “x” is referred to as nFeCasp-1_(x), a feline IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule of length “x” is referred to as nFeIL-12_(x), a feline IL-12p35 subunit nucleic acid molecule of length “x” is referred to as nFeIL-12p35_(x) and a feline IL-12p40 subunit nucleic acid molecule of length “x” is referred to as nFeIL-12p40_(x). Similarly, Felis catus IL-18, Casp-l, IL-12 single chain, IL -12p35 subunit, and IL-12p40 subunit proteins of the present invention of known length are denoted PFeIL-1 8_(x), PFeCasp-1_(x), PFeIL-12_(x), PFeIL-12p35_(x), and PFeIL-12p40_(x) respectively.

[0023] Nucleic acid molecules of the present invention of known length isolated from Canis familiaris are denoted as follows: a canine L-12 single chain is denoted as nCaIL-12_(x), wherein “x” refers to the number of nucleotides in that molecule; for example, nCaIL-12₁₆₀₂ refers to a canine IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule of 1602 nucleotides in length and in a similar fashion, a canine IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule of length “x” is referred to as nCaIL-12p35x and a canine IL-12p40 subunit nucleic acid molecule of length “x” is referred to as nCaIL-12p40_(x). Similarly, Canis familiaris IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention of known length isolated from are denoted PCaIL-12_(x), PCaIL-12p35_(x), or PCaIL-12p40_(x) respectively. The present invention includes nucleic acid molecules selected from the group consisting of nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇, nCaIL-12p40₁₀₀₂, nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, and nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃.

[0024] The present invention includes nucleic acid molecules that include one or more of the following nucleic acid sequences: SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:64 and/or SEQ ID NO:66, and/or a complements of these nucleic acid sequences, i.e. SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:63, and/or SEQ ID NO:68, respectively. Complements are defined as two single strands of nucleic acid in which the nucleotide sequences are such that the strands will hybridize as a result of base pairing throughout their full length; i.e., these sequences are fully complementary. Such nucleic acid sequences are further described herein and can be easily be determined by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that since nucleic acid sequencing technology is not entirely error-free, nucleic acid and protein sequences presented herein represent apparent nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of the isolated nucleic acid molecules and proteins, respectively, of the present invention.

[0025] As used herein, an isolated feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, feline IL-12p40 subunit, feline IL-12p35 subunit, feline IL-12 single chain, canine IL-12p40 subunit, canine IL-12p35, and/or canine IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention can be a full-length protein or any homolog of such a protein, including truncated forms of the protein. An isolated IL-18 protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response against, (or to) an IL-18 protein, whether the protein has IL-18 activity, such as T cell stimulating activity, or selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-18 protein. An isolated caspase-1 protein of the present invention may be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response against, (or to) a caspase-1 protein, whether the protein has caspase-1 activity, such as cleaving the precursor form of IL-18 resulting in a biologically active IL-18, or selectively binding to an antibody raised against a caspase-1 protein. A IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention may be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response against, (or to) an IL-12 protein, including the p35 or p40 subunits, whether the protein has IL-12 activity, such as T cell stimulating activity, or selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein, including the p35 or p40 subunits. Examples of protein homologs of the present invention includes proteins of the present invention in which amino acids have been deleted (e.g. a truncated version of the protein, such as a peptide), inserted, inverted, substituted and/or derivatized (e.g. by glycosylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, myristoylation, prenylation, palmitoylation, amidation and/or addition of glycerophosphatidyl inositol) such that the protein homolog include at least one epitope capable of eliciting an immune response against the parent protein, where the term parent refers to the longer and/or full-length protein that the homolog is derived from. The ability of a protein to effect an immune response can be measured using techniques known to those skilled in the art. As used herein, the term “epitope” refers to the smallest portion of a protein capable of selectively binding to the antigen binding site of an antibody. It is well accepted by those skilled in the art that the minimal size of a protein epitope capable of selectively binding to the antigen binding site of an antibody is about five or six to seven amino acids.

[0026] Proteins of the present invention include variants of a full-length protein of the present invention. Such variants include proteins that are less than full-length. As used herein, variants of the present invention refer to nucleic acid molecules that are naturally-occurring a defined below, and may result from alternative RNA splicing, alternative termination of an amino acid sequence or DNA recombination. Examples of variants include allelic variants as defined below. It is to be noted that a variant is an example of a homolog of the present invention.

[0027] Proteins of the present invention are encoded by nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. As used herein, an IL-18 nucleic acid molecule includes sequences related to a natural feline IL-18 gene. As used herein, a caspase-1 protein includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural feline caspase-1 gene. As used herein, an IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule includes sequences related to a natural canine or feline IL-12 gene, IL-12p35 gene, and/or IL-12p40 gene. As used herein, a feline IL-18, a feline caspase-1, and or a feline or canine IL-12 single chain refers to the natural genomic elements that encode a feline IL-1 8, a feline caspase-1, and or a feline or canine IL-12 single chain, and includes all regions such as regulatory regions that control production of the protein encoded by the gene) such as, but not limited to, transcription, translation or post-translation control regions) as well as the coding region itself, and any introns or non-translated coding regions. As used herein, a gene that “includes” or “comprises” a sequence may include that sequence in one continuous array, or may include the sequence of fragmented exons. As used herein, the term “coding region” refers to a continuous linear array of nucleotides that translates into a protein. A full-length coding region is that region that is translated into a full-length, i.e., a complete protein as would be initially translated in its natural milieu, prior to any post-translational modifications.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, isolated proteins are encoded by nucleic acid molecules that hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions to the non-coding strand of nucleic acid molecules encoding proteins. The minimal size of a protein of the present invention (4-6 amino acids) is a size sufficient to be encoded by a nucleic acid molecule capable of forming a stable hybrid, i.e., hybridizing under stringent hybridization conditions, with the complementary sequence of a nucleic acid molecule encoding the corresponding natural protein. The size of a nucleic acid molecule encoding such a protein is dependent on the nucleic acid composition and the percent homology between the nucleic acid molecule and the complementary nucleic acid sequence. It can easily be understood that the extent of homology required to form a stable hybrid under stringent conditions can vary depending on whether the homologous sequences are interspersed throughout a given nucleic acid molecule or are clustered, i.e. localized, in distinct regions on a given nucleic acid molecule.

[0029] The minimal size of a feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, and/or canine or feline IL-12 single chain protein homolog/portion/fragment of the present invention is a size sufficient to be encoded by a nucleic acid molecule capable of forming a stable hybrid (i.e. hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions) with the complementary sequence of a nucleic acid molecule encoding the corresponding natural protein. Stringent hybridization conditions are determined based on defined physical properties of the gene to which the nucleic acid molecule is being hybridized, and can be defined mathematically. Stringent hybridization conditions are those experimental parameters that allow an individual skilled in the art to identify significant similarities between heterologous nucleic acid molecules. These conditions are well known to those skilled in the art. See, for example, Sambrook, et al., 1989, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press, and Meinkoth, et al., 1984, Anal. Biochem. 138, 267-284, each of which is incorporated herein by this reference. As explained in detail in the cited references, the determination of hybridization conditions involves the manipulation of a set of variables including the ionic strength (M, in moles/liter), the hybridization temperature (° C.), the concentration of nucleic acid helix destabilizing agents, such as formamide, the average length of the shortest hybrid duplex (n), and the percent G+C composition of the fragment to which an unknown nucleic acid molecule is being hybridized. For nucleic acid molecules of at least about 150 nucleotides, these variables are inserted into a standard mathematical formula to calculate the melting temperature, or T_(m), of a given nucleic acid molecule. As defined in the formula below, T_(m) is the temperature at which two complementary nucleic acid molecule strands will disassociate, assuming 100% complementarity between the two strands:

T _(m)=81.5° C.+16.6 log M+0.41(%G+C)−500/n−0.61(%formamide).

[0030] For nucleic acid molecules smaller than about 50 nucleotides, hybrid stability is defined by the dissociation temperature (T_(d)), which is defined as the temperature at which 50% of the duplexes dissociate. For these smaller molecules, the stability at a standard ionic strength is defined by the following equation:

T _(d) =4 (G+C)+2(A+T).

[0031] A temperature of 5° C. below T_(d) is used to detect hybridization between perfectly matched molecules.

[0032] Also well known to those skilled in the art is how base pair mismatch, i.e. differences between two nucleic acid molecules being compared, including non-complementarity of bases at a given location, and gaps due to insertion or deletion of one or more bases at a given location on either of the nucleic acid molecules being compared, will affect T_(m) or T_(d) for nucleic acid molecules of different sizes. For example, T_(m) decreases about 1° C. for each 1% of mismatched base pairs for hybrids greater than about 150 bp, and T_(d) decreases about 5° C. for each mismatched base pair for hybrids below about 50 bp. Conditions for hybrids between about 50 and about 150 base pairs can be determined empirically and without undue experimentation using standard laboratory procedures well known to those skilled in the art. These simple procedures allow one skilled in the art to set the hybridization conditions, by altering, for example, the salt concentration, the formamide concentration or the temperature, so that only nucleic acid hybrids with greater than a specified % base pair mismatch will hybridize. Stringent hybridization conditions are commonly understood by those skilled in the art to be those experimental conditions that will allow about 30% or less base pair mismatch, i.e., at least about 85% identity. Because one skilled in the art can easily determine whether a given nucleic acid molecule to be tested is less than or greater than about 50 nucleotides, and can therefore choose the appropriate formula for determining hybridization conditions, he or she can determine whether the nucleic acid molecule will hybridize with a given gene or specified nucleic acid molecule under stringent hybridization conditions and similarly whether the nucleic acid molecule will hybridize under conditions designed to allow a desired amount of base pair mismatch.

[0033] Hybridization reactions are often carried out by attaching the nucleic acid molecule to be hybridized to a solid support such as a membrane, and then hybridizing with a labeled nucleic acid molecule, typically referred to as a probe, suspended in a hybridization solution. Examples of common hybridization reaction techniques include, but are not limited to, the well-known Southern and northern blotting procedures. Typically, the actual hybridization reaction is done under non-stringent conditions, i.e., at a lower temperature and/or a higher salt concentration, and then high stringency is achieved by washing the membrane in a solution with a higher temperature and/or lower salt concentration in order to achieve the desired stringency.

[0034] In one embodiment, an IL-18 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:1, as well as the complement of SEQ ID NO:1. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA (complementary DNA) denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-1 8-N₅₁₄, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. SEQ ID NO:1 comprises an apparent partial coding region of nFeIL-18, coding for the N-terminal portion of feline IL-18 protein. The complement of SEQ ID NO:1 (represented herein by SEQ ID NO:3) refers to the nucleic acid sequence of the strand fully complementary to the strand having SEQ ID NO:1, which can easily be determined by those skilled in the art. Likewise, a nucleic acid sequence complement of any nucleic acid sequence of the present invention refers to the nucleic acid sequence complement of any nucleic acid sequence of the present invention tat is fully complementary (i.e. can form a double helix with) the strand for which the sequence is cited. It should be noted that since nucleic acid sequencing technology is not entirely error-free, SEQ ID NO:1 (as well as other nucleic acid and protein sequences presented herein) represents an apparent nucleic acid sequence of the nucleic acid molecule encoding an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention.

[0035] Another IL-18 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:4, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:6. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂, the production of which is disclosed in the examples. Nucleic acid nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂ represents an apparent partial coding region of FeIL-18, encoding a partial C-terminal region of the feline IL-18 protein. Another IL-18 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:7, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:10. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:7 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18₆₀₇, the production of which is disclosed in the examples. Nucleic acid nFeIL 18₆₀₇ represents an apparent full-length coding region of the feline IL-18 protein. Another IL-18 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:9, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:41. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:9 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18₅₇₆, the production of which is disclosed in the examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18₅₇₆ represents the coding region for an apparent precursor protein to a mature feline IL-18 protein. Another IL-18 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:11, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:13. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:11 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFe IL-18₄₇₁, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFe IL-18₄₇₁ represents the coding region for an apparent mature IL-18 protein. The putative cleavage site for the mature IL-18 protein is between amino acid positions 35 and 36 of SEQ ID NO:8, representing PFeIL-18₁₉₂, which is the predicted amino acid sequence of the full-length IL-18 protein (i.e., containing signal, or leader, peptide). SEQ ID NO:12 represents the predicted amino acid sequence of the mature IL-18 protein (i.e., without the signal, or leader, sequence), also denoted as PFeIL-18₁₅₇.

[0036] In another embodiment, a caspase-1 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:14, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:16. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:14 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ represents the coding region for an apparent full-length feline caspase-1 protein and includes a human primer sequence. Another caspase-1 protein of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:17, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:19. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:17 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆ represents the coding region for the apparent N-terminal region of the feline caspase-1 protein. Another caspase-1 protein of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:20, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:22. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:20 represents the deduced sequence of a coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1 -C₅₀₀ represents the coding region for the apparent C-terminal region of the feline caspase-1 protein. Another caspase-1 protein of the present invention includes the nucleic acid molecule SEQ ID NO:23, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:25. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:23 represents the deduced sequence of a coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀, the production of which is disclosed in the examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀ represents the coding region for the apparent full-length feline caspase-1 protein, denoted herein as PFeCasp-1₄₁₀, represented herein as SEQ ID NO:24.

[0037] In another embodiment, feline IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention contain both a mature IL-12 p35 subunit and a full-length IL-12 p40 subunit, joined by a linker. An IL-12 single chain gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:38, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:40. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:38 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉ represents the coding region encoding a single chain full-length feline IL-12 protein, which includes the coding region for a full-length (i.e. containing signal, or leader, sequence) IL-12 p40 subunit, a linker of the present invention, and the coding region for a mature (i.e. not containing signal, or leader, sequence) IL-12 p35 subunit. SEQ ID NO:38 comprises a sequence that includes both the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:29 (nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:29 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇, which represents the coding region encoding the full-length feline IL-12 p40 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:31 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:29) and SEQ ID NO:35 (nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:35 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, which represents the coding region encoding the mature feline IL-12 p35 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:37 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:35). Translation of SEQ ID NO:38 yields a predicted protein denoted herein as PFeIL-12₅₃₃, also denoted as SEQ ID NO:39.

[0038] In another embodiment, feline IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention contain both a mature IL-12 p35 subunit and an mature IL-12 p40 subunit, joined by a linker. An IL-12 single chain gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:43, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:45. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:43 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃ represents the coding region encoding a single chain mature feline IL-12 protein. SEQ ID NO:33 comprises a sequence that includes both the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:26 (nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:26 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p40₉₈₅, which represents the coding region encoding the mature feline IL-12 p40 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:28 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:26) and SEQ ID NO:35 (nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:35 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, which represents the coding region encoding the mature feline IL-12 p35 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:37 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:35). Translation of SEQ ID NO:43 yields a predicted protein denoted herein as PFeIL-12₅₁₁, also denoted as SEQ ID NO:44.

[0039] In another embodiment, canine IL-12 single chain proteins and nucleic acid molecules of the present invention contain both a mature IL-12 p35 subunit and a full-length IL-12 p40 subunit, joined by a linker. An IL-12 single chain gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:61, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:63. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:61 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉ represents the coding region encoding a single chain full-length canine IL-12 protein, which includes the coding region for a full-length (i.e. containing signal, or leader, sequence), IL-14 p40 subunit, a linker of the present invention, and the coding region for a mature, (i.e., not containing signal, or leader, sequence) IL-12 p35 subunit. SEQ ID NO:61 comprises a nucleic acid sequence that includes both the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:58 (nucleic acid SEQ ID NO:58 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12₉₈₇, which represents the coding region encoding the full-length canine IL-12 p40 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:60 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:58) and SEQ ID NO:49 (nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:49 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, which represents the coding region encoding the mature canine IL-12 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:51 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:49. Translation of SEQ ID NO:61 yields a predicted protein denoted herein as PCaIL-12₅₃₃, also denoted as SEQ ID NO:62.

[0040] In another embodiment, canine IL-12 single chain proteins and nucleic acid molecules of the present invention contain both a mature IL-12 p35 subunit and a mature IL-12 p40 subunit, joined by a linker. An IL-12 single chain gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:66, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:68. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:66 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃ represents the coding region encoding a single chain full-length canine IL-12 protein, which includes the coding region for a full-length (i.e. containing signal, or leader, sequence), IL-14 p40 subunit, a linker of the present invention, and the coding region for a mature, (i.e., not containing signal, or leader, sequence) IL-12 p35 subunit. SEQ ID NO:66 comprises a nucleic acid sequence that includes both the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:52 (nucleic acid SEQ ID NO:52 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12921, which represents the coding region encoding the mature canine IL-12 p40 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:54 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:52) and SEQ ID NO:49 (nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:49 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, which represents the coding region encoding the mature canine IL-12 subunit, whereas SEQ ID NO:51 represents the complement of SEQ ID NO:49. Translation of SEQ ID NO:66 yields a predicted protein denoted herein as PCaIL-12₅₁₁, also denoted as SEQ ID NO:67.

[0041] Nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention having specific sequence identifiers are described in Table 1. TABLE 1 Sequence identification numbers (SEQ ID NOs) and their corresponding nucleic acid moecule or proteins.

1 nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄ coding strand 2 PFeIL-18-N₁₃₃ 3 nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄ complementary strand 4 nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂ coding strand 5 PFeIL-18-C₁₅₄ 6 nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂ complementary strand 7 nFeIL-18₆₀₇ coding strand 8 PFeIL-18₁₉₂ 9 nFeIL-18₅₇₆ coding strand: coding sequence for full-length feline IL- 18 protein 10 nFeIL-18₆₀₇ complementary strand to SEQ ID NO: 7 11 nFeIL-18₄₇₁ coding strand: coding sequence for mature feline IL-18 protein 12 PFeIL-18₁₅₇ 13 nFeIL- 18₄₇₁ complementary strand 14 nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ coding strand 15 PFeCasp-1₄₁₀ 16 nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ complementary strand 17 nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆ coding strand 18 PFeCasp-1-N₁₆₉ 19 nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆ complementary strand 20 nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀ coding strand 21 PFeCasp-1-C₁₂₀ 22 nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀ complementary strand 23 nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀ coding strand: coding sequence for feline caspase-1 protein 24 PFeCasp-1₄₁₀ 25 nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀ complementary strand 26 nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁ coding strand: coding sequence for feline mature IL-12p40 subunit 27 PFeIL-12p40₃₀₇ 28 nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁ complementary strand 29 nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇ coding strand: coding sequence for feline full-length IL-12p40 subunit 30 PFeIL-12p40₃₂₉ 31 nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇ complementary strand 32 nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆ coding strand: coding sequence for feline full-length IL-12p35 subunit 33 PFeIL-12p35₂₂₂ 34 nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆ complementary strand 35 nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁ coding strand: coding sequence for feline mature IL-12p35 subunit 36 PFeIL-12p35-N₁₈₇ 37 nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁ complementary strand 38 nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉ coding strand 39 PFeIL-12₅₃₃ 40 nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉ complementary strand 41 nFeIL-18₅₇₆ complementary strand to SEQ ID NO: 9 42 not used-inactive 43 nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃ coding strand 44 PFeLL-12₅₁₁ 45 nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃ complementary strand 46 nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆ coding strand: coding strand for canine full-length IL-12p35 subunit 47 PCaIL-12p35₂₂₂ 48 nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆ complementary strand 49 nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁ coding strand 50 PCaIL-12p35₁₉₇ 51 nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁ complementary strand 52 nCaIL-12p40₉₂₁ coding strand: coding sequence for mature form canine IL-12 p40 subunit 53 PCaIL-12p40₃₀₇ 54 nCaIL-12p40₉₂₁ reverse complement 55 nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅ coding sequence 56 PCaIL-12p40-N₃₂₈ 57 nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅ complementary strand 58 nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇ coding strand: coding sequence for full-length canine IL-12 p40 subunit 59 PCaIL-12p40₃₂₉ 60 nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇ complementary strand 61 nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉ coding strand 62 PCaIL-12₅₃₃ 63 nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉ complementary strand 64 not used-inactive 65 not used-inactive 66 nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃ coding strand 67 PCaIL-12₅₁₁ 68 nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃ complementary strand 101 nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁ coding strand 102 PFeIL-12p35-N₁₈₇ 103 nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁ complementary strand 104 nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅ coding strand 105 PCaIL-12p35₂₂₂ 106 nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅ complementary strand 107 nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇ coding strand 108 PcaIL-12p40₃₂₉ 109 nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇ complementary strand

[0042] Particularly preferred nucleic acid molecules encoding feline IL-18 proteins are nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄, nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂, nFeIL-18₆₀₇, nFeIL-18₅₇₆. and nFeIL-18₄₇₁, the coding strands of which are represented by SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9 and SEQ ID NO:11, respectively.

[0043] Particularly preferred nucleic acid molecules encoding feline caspase-1 proteins are nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃, nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆, nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀ and nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀, the coding strands of which are represented by SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, and SEQ ID NO:23 respectively.

[0044] Particularly preferred nucleic acid molecules encoding canine and feline IL-12 p35 and p40 subunit proteins are nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅, nFeIL 12p40₉₈₇, nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁, nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆, nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁, nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆, nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅, nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p40₂₆₇, nCaIL-12p40₉₂₁, and nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇. Coding strands of which are represented by SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:104, and SEQ ID NO:107.

[0045] Additional preferred nucleic acid molecules encoding canine and feline IL-12 single chain proteins are nFeIL-12,₅₃₃, nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉, nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, the coding strands of which are represented by SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:61, and SEQ ID NO:66.

[0046] One embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is selected from a group of nucleic acid molecules. One member of this group includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:l 1, and SEQ ID NO:13; and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 70 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 70 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:13. Another member of this group of nucleic acid molecules includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, and SEQ ID NO:25; and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 70 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 70 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, and SEQ ID NO:25. Another member of this group of nucleic acid molecules includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid molecule comprising (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 44 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 44 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:9; (b) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 44 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 44 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, such that a nucleic acid molecule of this particular group encodes a feline IL-12 protein. Another member of this group of nucleic acid molecules includes an isolate nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid molecule comprising (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 47 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 47 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49; (b) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(N) wherein n=0 to 60; and (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 47 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 47 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49, such that a nucleic acid molecule of this particular group encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein.

[0047] The phrase, a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least “x” contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least “x” contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ IF) NO:“y”, refers to an “x”-nucleotide in length nucleic acid molecule that is identical in sequence to an “x”-nucleotide portion of SEQ ID NO:“y”, as well as to nucleic acid molecules that are longer in length than “x”. The additional length may be in the form of nucleotides that extend from either the 5′ or the 3′ end(s) of the contiguous identical “x”-nucleotide portion. The 5′ and/or 3′ extensions can include one or more extensions that have no identity to an immunoregulatory molecule of the present invention, as well as extensions that show similarity or identity to cited nucleic acids sequences or portions thereof.

[0048] Preferred portions, or lengths, for feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, feline IL-12 single chain, and canine IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules of the present invention include nucleic acid molecules of at least 40 nucleotides in length, at least 43 nucleotides in length, at least 44 nucleotides in length, at least 47 nucleotides in length, at least 50 nucleotides in length, at least 55 nucleotides in length, at least 60 nucleotides in length, at least 65 nucleotides in length, at least 70 nucleotides in length, at least 75 nucleotides in length, at least 80 nucleotides in length, at least 85 nucleotides in length, at least 90 nucleotides in length, at least 95 nucleotides in length, at least 100 nucleotides in length, at least 120 nucleotides in length, at least 140 nucleotides in length, at least 160 nucleotides in length, at least 180 nucleotides in length, at least 200 nucleotides in length, at least 250 nucleotides in length, at least 300 nucleotides in length, at least 350 nucleotides in length, at least 400 nucleotides in length, at least 450 nucleotides in length, at least 500 nucleotides in length, at least 600 nucleotides in length, at least 700 nucleotides in length, at least 800 nucleotides in length, at least 900 nucleotides in length, and a full-length molecule. Particularly preferred portions, or lengths, of the nucleic acid molecules of the present invention include nucleic acids of at least 43 nucleotides, 44 nucleotides, 47 nucleotides, 70 nucleotides, and a full length molecule.

[0049] One embodiment of a protein and/or nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is a fusion nucleic acid and/or protein that includes either a feline IL-18, caspase-1, feline IL-12 single chain, and canine IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecule and/or protein of the present invention domain, each attached to one or more fusion segments. Suitable fusion segments for use with the present invention include, but are not limited to, segments that can: link two or more nucleic acids and/or proteins of the present invention, to form multimeric forms of a nucleic acids and/or protein of the present invention; enhance a nucleic acid molecules or protein's stability; enhance the biological activity of a nucleic acid molecule and/or protein of the present invention; and/or assist in purification a molecule of the present invention (e.g., by affinity chromatography). A suitable fusion segment can be a domain of any size that has the desired function (e.g., imparts increased stability, enhanced activity, and/or simplifies purification of a protein). Fusion segments can be joined to amino and/or carboxyl termini of the IL-18-containing domain, or the caspase-1 ligand-containing domain, or the IL-12 p40-containing domain, or the IL-12 p35-containing domain, or the IL-12 single chain-containing domain, of a protein and/or nucleic acid and can be susceptible to cleavage in order to enable straight-forward recovery of the protein and/or nucleic acid molecule. Fusion proteins are preferably produced by culturing a recombinant cell transformed with a fusion nucleic acid molecule that encodes a protein including the fusion segment attached to either the carboxyl and/or amino terminal end of a feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, feline IL-12 p35 subunit, feline IL,12 p40 subunit, feline IL-12 single chain, canine IL-12 p35 subunit, canine IL-12 p40 subunit, and/or canine IL-12 single chain-containing domain. Preferred fusion segments include a metal binding domain (e.g., a poly-histidine segment); an immunoglobulin binding domain (e.g., Protein A; Protein G; T cell; B cell; Fc receptor or complement protein antibody-binding domains); a sugar binding domain (e.g., a maltose binding domain); and/or a “tag” domain (e.g., at least a portion of β-galactosidase, a strep tag peptide, a T7 tag peptide, a Flag™ peptide, or other domains that can be purified using compounds that bind to the domain, such as monoclonal antibodies). More preferred fusion segments include metal binding domains, such as a poly-histidine segment; a maltose binding domain; a strep tag peptide, such as that available from Biometra in Tampa, Fla.; and an S10 peptide.

[0050] The phrase, a nucleic acid linker, is a term known to those skilled in the art, and refers to a nucleic acid linker that can link, or attach, nucleic acid molecules, in such a manner that expression of the nucleic acid molecules produces one fusion protein as expression product. A linker can be any nucleotide sequence that directs expression of a single fusion polypeptide from a nucleotide molecule which includes two or more nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, wherein the fusion polypeptide has appropriate biological activity. Preferably, a nucleic acid linker of the present invention comprises nucleotides arranged in codons, (i.e., 3 nucleotides that, when transcribed, code for an amino acid residue), and the linker does not contain any stop codons in frame. A linker is represented herein as (XXX)_(n), where X is the designation of a variable nucleotide and n refers to the number of codons. The length of the nucleic acid linker may be of any length that permits expression of the fusion protein. More preferably, the length of the nucleic acid linker is from about 0 codons to about 60 codons, or from about 0 nucleotides to about 180 nucleotides. A particularly preferred linker includes SEQ ID NO:83. Appropriate biological activity includes the ability of such a fusion protein to elicit an immune response against a protein of the present invention, selectively binding an antibody raised against a protein of the present invention, and exhibiting the immunoregulatory activity of a protein of the present invention.

[0051] A single chain IL-12 protein of the present invention includes single chain IL-12 proteins comprising an IL-12 p35 subunit of the present invention at the N-terminus of the single chain protein and an IL12 p40 subunit of the present invention at the C-terminus of the single chain protein, with the linker between the p35 subunit and the p40 subunit. Preferred single chain IL-12 proteins comprise an IL-12 p40 of the present invention at the N-terminus of the single chain protein and an L-12 p40 subunit of the present invention at the C-terminus of the single chain protein, with the linker in between the subunits.

[0052] Another embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:13; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of a nucleic acid molecule of (i) wherein said fragment is at least 80 nucleotides in length. Preferred nucleic acid molecules include nucleic acid sequences that are at least 92 %, at least 93%, at least 94%, more preferably at least 95% identical, and even more preferably at least about 98% identical to SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO: 11, and SEQ ID NO:13. Preferred fragment lengths include fragments of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:1, and SEQ ID NO:13 which are at least 75 nucleotides in length, which are at least 80 nucleotides in length, which are at least 85 nucleotides in length, which are at least 90 nucleotides in length, which are at least 100 nucleotides in length, which are at least 120 nucleotides in length, which are at least 150 nucleotides in length, which are at least 200 nucleotides in length, which are at least 300 nucleotides in length, which are at least 400 nucleotides in length, which are at least 500 nucleotides in length, which are at least 600 nucleotides in length, and which preferably are full-length.

[0053] Another embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, and SEQ ID NO:25; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of a nucleic acid molecule of (i) wherein said fragment is at least 85 nucleotides in length. Preferred nucleic acid molecules include nucleic acid sequences that are at least 85%, preferably at least 87 %, more preferably at least 90%, even more preferably at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, and SEQ ID NO:25. Preferred fragment lengths include fragments of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, and SEQ ID NO:25 which are at least 70 nucleotides in length, which are at least 80 nucleotides in length, which are at least 85 nucleotides in length, which are at least 90 nucleotides in length, which are at least 100 nucleotides in length, which are at least 200 nucleotides in length, which are at least 300 nucleotides in length, which are at least 400 nucleotides in length, which are at least 500 nucleotides in length, which are at least 600 nucleotides in length, or which preferably are full-length.

[0054] Another embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising (a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:29, or a fragment thereof of at least 551 nucleotides in length; (b) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60, and (c) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a feline IL-12 single chain protein; and a nucleic acid molecule fully complementary to the coding strand of a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (i). Preferred nucleic acid molecules include nucleic acid sequences that are at least 87%, at least 88%, at least 89%, more preferably at least 90%, even more preferably at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, and SEQ ID NO:35. Preferred fragment lengths include fragments of SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, and SEQ ID NO:35, which are at least 55 nucleotides in length, which are at least 60 nucleotides in length, which are at least about 65 nucleotides in length, which are at least 70 nucleotides in length, which are at least 80 nucleotides in length, which are at least 90 nucleotides in length, which are at least 100 nucleotides in length, which are at least 200 nucleotides in length, which are at least 300 nucleotides in length, which are at least 400 nucleotides in length, which are at least 500 nucleotides in length, which are at least 600 nucleotides in length, or which preferably are full-length.

[0055] Another embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising (a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length; (b) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and (c) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein; and a nucleic acid molecule fully complementary to the coding strand of a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (i). Preferred nucleic acid molecules include nucleic acid sequences that are at least 87%, at least 88%, at least 89%, more preferably at least 90%, even more preferably at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:46, and SEQ ID NO:49. Preferred fragment lengths include fragments of SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:46, and SEQ ID NO:49, which are at least 55 nucleotides in length, which are at least 60 nucleotides in length, which are at least about 65 nucleotides in length, which are at least 70 nucleotides in length, which are at least 80 nucleotides in length, which are at least 90 nucleotides in length, which are at least 100 nucleotides in length, which are at least 200 nucleotides in length, which are at least 300 nucleotides in length, which are at least 400 nucleotides in length, which are at least 500 nucleotides in length, which are at least 600 nucleotides in length, or which preferably are full-length.

[0056] Preferred portions, or fragments, of a feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, canine or feline IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention include at least 15 amino acids, at least 20 amino acids, at least 25 amino acids, at least 30 amino acids, at least 35 amino acids, at least 40 amino acids, at least 45 amino acids, at least 50 amino acids, at least 60 amino acids, at least 75 amino acids or at least 100 amino acids. An IL-18 or IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention can include at least a portion of an IL-18 or IL-12 single chain protein that is capable of binding to an IL-18 or IL-12 receptor, respectively. These receptors are known to those of skill in the art, and are described in Janeway et al., in Immunobiology, the Immune System in Health and Disease, Garland Publishing, Inc., NY, 1996 (which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety). The IL-18 or IL-12 receptor-binding portion of an IL-18 or IL-12 protein, respectively, can be determined by incubating the protein with an isolated IL-18 or IL-12 receptor, as appropriate, or a cell having an IL-18 or IL-12 receptor on its surface, as appropriate. IL-18 or IL-12 protein binding to purified IL-18 or IL-12 receptor, respectively, can be determined using methods known in the art including Biacore® screening, confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, immunoprecipitation, gel chromatography, determination of inhibition of binding of antibodies that bind specifically to the IL-18 or IL-12 binding domain of an IL-18 or IL-12 receptor, ELISA using an IL-18 or IL-12 receptor, respectively, labeled with a detectable tag such as an enzyme or chemiluminescent tag or yeast-2 hybrid technology. A caspase-1 protein of the present invention can include at least a portion of a caspase-1 protein that is capable cleaving pro-IL-18 to mature IL-18. The ability of the caspase-1 protein to cleave IL-18 can be determined by methods known in the art, including methods such as Biacore® screening, confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, immunoprecipitation, gel chromatography, determination of inhibition of cleavage upon binding of antibodies that bind specifically to either IL-18 or caspase-1, and enzymatic assays.

[0057] The present invention also includes mimetopes of feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, and canine and/or feline IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention. As used herein, a mimetope of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention refers to any compound that is able to mimic the activity of such a feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, and canine and/or feline IL-12 single chain protein, respectively, often because the mimetope has a structure that mimics the particular protein. Mimetopes can be, but are not limited to: peptides that have been modified to decrease their susceptibility to degradation such as all-D retro peptides; anti-idiotypic and/or catalytic antibodies, or fragments thereof; non-proteinaceous immunogenic portions of an isolated protein (e.g., carbohydrate structures); and/or synthetic or natural organic molecules, including nucleic acids. Such mimetopes can be designed using computer-generated structures of proteins of the present invention. Mimetopes can also be obtained by generating random samples of molecules, such as oligonucleotides, peptides or other organic molecules, and screening such samples by affinity chromatography techniques using the corresponding binding partner.

[0058] Furthermore, it is known in the art that there are commercially available computer programs for determining the degree of similarity between two nucleic acid or protein sequences. These computer programs include various known methods to determine the percentage identity and the number and length of gaps between hybrid nucleic acid molecules or proteins. Preferred methods to determine the percent identity among amino acid sequences and also among nucleic acid sequences include analysis using one or more of the commercially available computer programs designed to compare and analyze nucleic acid or amino acid sequences. These computer programs include, but are not limited to, the SeqLab® Wisconsin Package™ Version 10.0-UNIX sequence analysis software, available from Genetics Computer Group, Madison, Wis.; and DNAsis® sequence analysis software, version 2.0, available from Hitachi Software, San Bruno, Calif. Such software programs represent a collection of algorithms paired with a graphical user interface for using the algorithms. The DNAsis version 2.0 software and SeqLab Wisconsin Package Version 10.0-UNIX software, for example, employ a particular algorithm, the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm to perform pair-wise comparisons between two sequences to yield a percentage identity score, see Needleman, S. B. and Wunsch, C. D., 1970, J. Mol. Biol., 48, 443, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Such algorithms, including the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm, are commonly used by those skilled in the nucleic acid and amino acid sequencing art to compare sequences. A preferred method to determine percent identity among amino acid sequences and also among nucleic acid sequences includes using the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm, available in the SeqLab Wisconsin Package Version 10.0-UNIX software (hereinafter “SeqLab”), using the Pairwise Comparison/Gap function with the nwsgapdna.cmp scoring matrix, the gap creation penalty and the gap extension penalties set at default values, and the gap shift limits set at maximum (hereinafter referred to as “SeqLab default parameters”). An additional preferred method to determine percent identity among amino acid sequences and also among nucleic acid sequences includes using the Higgins-Sharp algorithm, available in the DNAsis version 2.0 software (hereinafter “DNAsis”), with the gap penalty set at 5, the number of top diagonals set at 5, the fixed gap penalty set at 10, the k-tuple set at 2, the window size set at 5, and the floating gap penalty set at 10. A particularly preferred method to determine percent identity among amino acid sequences and also among nucleic acid sequences includes using the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm available in the DNAsis version 2.0 software, using the GCG default parameter function.

[0059] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:66, and SEQ ID NO:68, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule comprising any of said nucleic acid sequences. An allelic variant of a feline and/or canine nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, including the particular SEQ ID NO's cited herein, is a gene that occurs at essentially the same locus (or loci) in the genome as the gene including the particular SEQ ID NO's cited herein, but which, due to natural variations caused by, for example, mutation or recombination, has a similar but not identical sequence. Also included in the term allelic variant are allelic variants of cDNAs derived from such genes. Because natural selection typically selects against alterations that affect function., allelic variants usually encode proteins having similar activity to that of the protein encoded by the gene to which they are being compared. Allelic variants of genes or nucleic acid molecules can also comprise alterations in the 5′ or 3′ untranslated regions of the gene (e.g., in regulatory control regions), or can involve alternative splicing of a nascent transcript, thereby bringing alternative exons into juxtaposition. Allelic variants are well known to those skilled in the art and would be expected to be found within a given animal, since the respective genomes are diploid, and sexual reproduction will result in the reassortment of alleles. As such, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:66, and SEQ ID NO:68, and/or any other nucleic acid molecule cited herein.

[0060] In another embodiment of the present invention, a nucleic acid molecule of the invention is selected from the group consisting of (a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, and (b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having any of said amino acid sequences of (a).

[0061] Another embodiment of the present invention includes feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, wherein said nucleic acid molecules encode a protein having a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-1 8 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12; (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and (iii) exhibiting IL-18 activity. Methods to elicit an immune response and to determine whether an antibody can selectively bind to a particular protein or antigen are known in the art, see, for example, Harlow, et al. (1988) Antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press; Harlow, et al. is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Methods to determine whether an IL-18 protein has IL-18 activity are known in the art, and include determining whether IL-18 has the activity of stimulating T cells to produce interferon gamma (IFN-γ).

[0062] Another embodiment of the present invention includes caspase-1 nucleic acid molecules of the present invention that encode a protein having a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against a caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and (iii) exhibiting caspase-1 activity. Methods to elicit an immune response and to determine whether an antibody can selectively bind to a particular protein or antigen are known in the art, see, for example, Harlow, et al. (1988) Antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press; Harlow, et al. is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Methods to determine whether a caspase-1 protein has caspase-1 activity are known in the art, and include, for example, determining if the caspase-1 protein has the ability to cleave the precursor form of U 18 resulting in a biologically active IL-18.

[0063] Another embodiment of the present invention includes canine and feline IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, wherein a said nucleic acid molecule encodes a protein having a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting from the group of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ INFO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:: 62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity. Methods to elicit an immune response and to determine whether an antibody can selectively bind to a particular protein or antigen are known in the art, see, for example, Harlow, et al. (1988) Antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press; Harlow, et al. is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Methods to determine whether an IL-12 protein has IL-12 activity are known in the art, and include determining if IL-12 has the activity of stimulating T cells to produce interferon gamma (IFN-γ).

[0064] A preferred nucleic acid molecule of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅, nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇, nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁, nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆, nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁, nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p35 ₆₆₆, nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅, nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇, nCaIL-12p40₉₂₁, nCaIL-12p40₉₈, nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉, nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, and nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃.

[0065] Another embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of: a protein selected from the group consisting of (a) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and (b) a protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (a), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length; and a protein comprising at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12. Preferred IL-18 proteins include proteins that are at least about 90 percent identical, preferably at least about 92 percent identical, preferably at least about 94 percent identical, preferably at least about 96 percent identical, and even more preferably at least about 98 percent identical to SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12 or fragments thereof. Preferred fragments of I-18 proteins include fragments of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12 that are at least about 20 amino acids in length, at least about 30 amino acids in length, at least about 40 amino acids in length, at least about 50 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 75 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 100 amino acids in length, and more preferably are full-length. Preferred IL 18 proteins also include proteins that comprise at least 15 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 15 contiguous amino acids; at least 20 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 20 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 30 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 30 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 50 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 50 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 75 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 75 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 100 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 100 contiguous amino acids, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12.

[0066] Another embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding caspase protein selected from the group consisting of: a protein selected from the group consisting of (a) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and (b) a protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (a), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length; and a protein comprising at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12. Preferred caspase-1 proteins include proteins that are at least about 85 percent identical, at least about 87 percent identical, preferably at least about 90 percent identical, preferably at least about 93 percent identical, more preferably at least about 95 percent identical, and even more preferably about 98 percent identical to SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24 or fragments thereof. Preferred fragments of caspase-1 proteins include fragments of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24 include fragments that are at least about 20 amino acids in length, at least about 30 amino acids in length, at least about 40 amino acids in length, at least about 50 amino acids in length, at least about 60 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 75 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 100 amino acids in length, and more preferably are full-length. Preferred caspase-1 proteins also include proteins that comprise at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids; at least 20 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 20 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 30 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 30 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 50 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 50 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 75 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 75 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 100 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 100 contiguous amino acids, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24.

[0067] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to a IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, and wherein said p35 domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36. Preferred p40 subunit proteins and/or p35 subunit proteins include proteins that are at least about 84 percent identical, preferably at least about 87 percent identical, preferably at least about 90 percent identical, and even more preferably at least about 95 percent identical to SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, and SEQ ID NO:36 or fragments thereof. Preferred fragments of IL-12 single chain proteins include fragments of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, and SEQ ID NO:36 include fragments that are at least about 30 amino acids in length, at least about 40 amino acids in length, at least about 50 amino acids in length, at least about 60 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 75 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 100 amino acids in length, and more preferably are full-length. Preferred IL-12 single chain proteins also include proteins that comprise at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 30 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 30 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 50 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 50 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 75 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 75 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 100 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 100 contiguous amino acids, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, and SEQ ID NO:36.

[0068] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to a IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a 1)40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, and wherein said p35 domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50. Preferred p40 subunit proteins and/or p35 subunit proteins include proteins that are at least about 84 percent identical, preferably at least about 87 percent identical, preferably at least about 90 percent identical, and even more preferably at least about 95 percent identical to SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59 or fragments thereof. Preferred fragments of IL-12 single chain proteins include fragments of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, and SEQ ID NO:36 include fragments that are at least about 40 amino acids in length, at least about 50 amino acids in length, at least about 60 amino acids in length, at least about 70 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 80 amino acids in length, preferably at least about 100 amino acids in length, and more preferably are full-length. Preferred IL-12 single chain proteins also include proteins that comprise at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 35 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 35 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 50 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 50 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 75 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 75 contiguous amino acids, preferably about 100 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 100 contiguous amino acids, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59.

[0069] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of the nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. Another embodiment of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a protein selected from the group consisting of an IL-18 protein, a caspase-1 protein, and an IL-12 single chain protein.

[0070] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule that is selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO; 18, SEQ ID NO:2 1, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67; and a nucleic acid molecule comprising an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having any of said nucleic acid molecules set forth in this paragraph. In another embodiment, a nucleic acid molecule encoding an IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention further comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding a linker.

[0071] The present invention also includes oligonucleotides, recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells comprising such nucleic acid molecules and methods to produce such nucleic acid molecules, oligonucleotides, recombinant molecules, recombinant viruses and recombinant cells.

[0072] Knowing the nucleic acid sequences of certain nucleic acid molecules of the present invention allows one skilled in the art to, for example, (a) make copies of those nucleic acid molecules, (b) obtain nucleic acid molecules including at least a portion of such nucleic acid molecules, e.g., nucleic acid molecules including full-length genes, full-length coding regions, regulatory control sequences, truncated coding regions, and (c) obtain other nucleic acid molecules. Such nucleic acid molecules can be obtained in a variety of ways including screening appropriate expression libraries with antibodies of the present invention; traditional cloning techniques using oligonucleotide probes of the present invention to screen appropriate libraries; and PCR amplification of appropriate libraries or DNA using oligonucleotide primers of the present invention. A preferred library to screen or from which to amplify nucleic acid molecules is a feline or canine mast library or a feline or canine peripheral blood mononuclear cell library. Techniques to clone and amplify genes are disclosed, for example, in Sambrook et al., ibid.

[0073] Oligonucleotides of the present invention can be RNA, DNA, or derivatives of either. The minimum size of such oligonucleotides is the size required for formation of a stable hybrid between an oligonucleotide and a complementary sequence on a larger nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, typically from about 12 to 15 to about 17 to 18 nucleotides depending on the GC/AT content. The present invention includes oligonucleotides that can be used as, for example, probes to identify nucleic acid molecules, primers to produce nucleic acid molecules, or therapeutic reagents to inhibit protein production or activity, e.g., as antisense-, triplex formation-, ribozyme- and/or RNA drug-based reagents. The present invention also includes the use of such oligonucleotides to protect animals from disease using one or more of such technologies. Appropriate oligonucleotide-containing therapeutic compositions can be administered to an animal using techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0074] One embodiment of the present invention includes a recombinant vector, which includes at least one isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, inserted into any vector capable of delivering the nucleic acid molecule into a host cell. Such a vector contains heterologous nucleic acid sequences, that is nucleic acid sequences that are not naturally found adjacent to nucleic acid molecules of the present invention and that preferably are derived from a species other than the species from which the nucleic acid molecule(s) are derived. The vector can be either RNA or DNA, either prokaryotic or eukaryotic, and typically is a virus or a plasmid. Recombinant vectors can be used in the cloning, sequencing, and/or otherwise manipulating of the nucleic acid molecules of the present invention.

[0075] One type of recombinant vector, referred to herein as a recombinant molecule, comprises a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention operatively linked to an expression vector. The phrase operatively linked refers to insertion of a nucleic acid molecule into an expression vector in a manner such that the nucleic acid molecule is able to be expressed when transformed into a host cell. As used herein, an expression vector is a DNA or RNA vector that is capable of transforming a host cell and of effecting expression of a specified nucleic acid molecule. Preferably, the expression vector is also capable of replicating within the host cell. Expression vectors can be either prokaryotic or eukaryotic, and are typically viruses or plasmids. Expression vectors of the present invention include any vectors that function, i.e., direct gene expression, in recombinant cells of the present invention, including in bacterial, fungal, insect, other animal, and plant cells. Preferred expression vectors of the present invention can direct gene expression in bacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells, and more preferably in the cell types disclosed herein.

[0076] In particular, expression vectors of the present invention contain regulatory sequences such as transcription control sequences, translation control sequences, origins of replication, and other regulatory sequences that are compatible with the recombinant cell and that control the expression of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. In particular, recombinant molecules of the present invention include transcription control sequences. Transcription control sequences are sequences that control the initiation, elongation, and termination of transcription. Particularly important transcription control sequences are those that control transcription initiation, such as promoter, enhancer, operator and repressor sequences. Suitable transcription control sequences include any transcription control sequence that can function in at least one of the recombinant cells of the present invention. A variety of such transcription control sequences are known to those skilled in the art. Preferred transcription control sequences include those which function in bacterial, yeast, or insect and mammalian cells, such as, but not limited to, tac, lac, trp, trc, oxy-pro, omp/1pp, rmB, bacteriophage lambda, such as lambda P_(L) and lambda P_(R) and fusions that include such promoters, bacteriophage T7, T7lac, bacteriophage T3, bacteriophage SP6, bacteriophage SP01, metallothionein, alpha-mating factor, Pichia alcohol oxidase, alphavirus subgenomic promoter, antibiotic resistance gene, baculovirus, Heliothis zea insect virus, vaccinia virus, herpesvirus, raccoon poxvirus, other poxvirus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, such as immediate early promoter, simian virus 40, retrovirus, actin, retroviral long terminal repeat, Rous sarcoma virus, heat shock, phosphate and nitrate transcription control sequences as well as other sequences capable of controlling gene expression in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. Additional suitable transcription control sequences include tissue-specific promoters and enhancers as well as lymphokine-inducible promoters, e.g., promoters inducible by interferons or interleukins.

[0077] A recombinant cell of the present invention includes any cell transformed with at least one of any nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. Suitable and preferred nucleic acid molecules as well as suitable and preferred recombinant molecules with which to transfer cells are disclosed herein. A recombinant cell is preferably produced by transforming a host cell with one or more recombinant molecules, each comprising one or more nucleic acid molecules of the present invention operatively linked to an expression vector containing one or more transcription control sequences, examples of which are disclosed herein.

[0078] Transformation of a nucleic acid molecule into a cell can be accomplished by any method by which a nucleic acid molecule can be inserted into the cell. Transformation techniques include, but are not limited to, transfection, electroporation, microinjection, lipofection, adsorption, and protoplast fusion. A recombinant cell may remain unicellular or may grow into a tissue, organ or a multicellular organism. It is to be noted that a cell line refers to any recombinant cell of the present invention that is not a transgenic animal. Transformed nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can remain extrachromosomal or can integrate into one or more sites within a chromosome of the transformed, i.e., recombinant, cell in such a manner that their ability to be expressed is retained. Preferred nucleic acid molecules with which to transform a cell include nucleic acid molecules disclosed herein. Particularly preferred nucleic acid molecules with which to transform a cell include nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄, nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂, nFeIL-18₆₀₇, nFeIL-18₅₇₆, nFeIL-18₄₇₁, nFeCasp-11₁₂₃₃, nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆, nFeCasp-1 -C₅₀₀, nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀, nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅, nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇, nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁, nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆, nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁, nFeIL -12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆, nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅, nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇, nCaIL -12p40₉₂₁, and nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃,nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉, an nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃.

[0079] Recombinant molecules of the present invention may also (a) contain secretory signals, i.e., signal segment nucleic acid sequences, to enable an expressed protein of the present invention to be secreted from the cell that produces the protein and/or (b) contain fusion sequences which lead to the expression of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention as fusion proteins. Examples of suitable signal segments include any signal segment capable of directing the secretion of a protein of the present invention. Preferred signal segments include, but are not limited to, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), interferon, interleukin, growth hormone, histocompatibility and viral envelope glycoprotein signal segments. Suitable fusion segments encoded by fusion segment nucleic acids are disclosed herein. In addition, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be joined to a fusion segment that directs the encoded protein to the proteosome, such as a ubiquitin fusion segment. Eukaryotic recombinant molecules may also include intervening and/or untranslated sequences surrounding and/or within the nucleic acid sequences of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention.

[0080] Suitable host cells to transform include any cell that can be transformed with a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. Host cells can be either untransformed cells or cells that are already transformed with at least one nucleic acid molecule, e.g., nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more proteins of the present invention and/or other proteins. Host cells of the present invention either can be endogenously, i.e., naturally, capable of producing proteins of the present invention or can be capable of producing such proteins after being transformed with at least one nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. Host cells of the present invention can be any cell capable of producing at least one protein of the present invention, and include bacterial, fungal, including yeast, insect, and other animal and plant cells. Preferred host cells include bacterial, mycobacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells. More preferred host cells include Salmonella, Escherichia, Bacillus, Listeria, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Spodoptera, Mycobacteria, Trichoplusia, BHK (baby hamster kidney) cells, MDCK cells (Madin-Darby canine kidney cell line), CRFK cells (Crandell feline kidney cell line), CV-1 cells (African monkey kidney cell line used, for example, to culture raccoon poxvirus), COS (e.g., COS-7) cells, and Vero cells. Particularly preferred host cells are Escherichia coli, including E. coli K-12 derivatives; Salmonella typhi; Salmonella typhimurium, including attenuated strains such as UK-1 ₁₀₂ 3987 and SR-11 _(χ)4072; Pichia; Spodoptera frugiperda; Trichoplusia ni; BHK cells; MDCK cells; CRFK cells; CV-1 cells; COS cells; Vero cells; and non-tumorigenic mouse myoblast G8 cells (e.g., ATCC CRL 1246). Additional appropriate mammalian cell hosts include other kidney cell lines, other fibroblast cell lines, e.g., human, murine or chicken embryo fibroblast cell lines, myeloma cell lines, Chinese hamster ovary cells, mouse NIH/3T3 cells, LMTK³¹ cells and/or HeLa cells.

[0081] Recombinant cells of the present invention can also be co-transformed with one or more recombinant molecules including IL-18, caspase-1, IL-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more proteins of the present invention and one or more other nucleic acid molecules encoding other compounds.

[0082] Recombinant DNA technologies can be used to improve expression of transformed nucleic acid molecules by manipulating, for example, the number of copies of the nucleic acid molecules within a host cell, the efficiency with which those nucleic acid molecules are transcribed, the efficiency with which the resultant transcripts are translated, and the efficiency of post-translational modifications. Recombinant techniques useful for increasing the expression of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention include, but are not limited to, operatively linking nucleic acid molecules to high-copy number plasmids, integration of the nucleic acid molecules into one or more host cell chromosomes, addition of vector stability sequences to plasmids, substitutions or modifications of transcription control signals, e.g., promoters, operators, enhancers, substitutions or modifications of translational control signals, e.g., ribosome binding sites, Shine-Dalgarno sequences, modification of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention to correspond to the codon usage of the host cell, deletion of sequences that destabilize transcripts, and use of control signals that temporally separate recombinant cell growth from recombinant enzyme production during fermentation. The activity of an expressed recombinant protein of the present invention may be improved by fragmenting, modifying, or derivatizing nucleic acid molecules encoding such a protein.

[0083] Isolated feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, feline and/or canine IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention can be produced in a variety of ways, including production and recovery of natural proteins, production and recovery of recombinant proteins, and chemical synthesis of the proteins. In one embodiment, an isolated protein of the present invention is produced by culturing a cell capable of expressing the protein under conditions effective to produce the protein, and recovering the protein. A preferred cell to culture is a recombinant cell of the present invention. Effective culture conditions include, but are not limited to, effective media, bioreactor, temperature, pH and oxygen conditions that permit protein production. An effective medium refers to any medium in which a cell is cultured to produce a protein of the present invention. Such a medium typically comprises an aqueous medium having assimilable carbon, nitrogen and phosphate sources, and appropriate salts, minerals, metals and other nutrients, such as vitamins. Cells of the present invention can be cultured in conventional fermentation bioreactors, shake flasks, test tubes, microtiter dishes, and petri plates. Culturing can be carried out at a temperature, pH and oxygen content appropriate for a recombinant cell. Such culturing conditions are within the expertise of one of ordinary skill in the art. Examples of suitable conditions are included in the Examples section.

[0084] Depending on the vector and host system used for production, resultant proteins of the present invention may either remain within the recombinant cell; be secreted into the fermentation medium; be secreted into a space between two cellular membranes, such as the periplasmic space in E. coli; or be retained on the outer surface of a cell or viral membrane. The phrase recovering the protein, as well as similar phrases, refers to collecting the whole fermentation medium containing the protein and need not imply additional steps of separation or purification. Proteins of the present invention can be purified using a variety of standard protein purification techniques, such as, but not limited to, affinity chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, filtration, electrophoresis, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, reverse phase chromatography, concanavalin A chromatography, chromatofocusing and differential solubilization. Proteins of the present invention are preferably retrieved in substantially pure form. As used herein, substantially pure refers to a purity that allows for the effective use of the protein as a therapeutic composition or diagnostic. A therapeutic composition for animals, for example, should exhibit no substantial toxicity.

[0085] The present invention also includes isolated, i.e., removed from their natural milieu, antibodies that selectively bind to proteins of the present invention or a mimetope thereof, e.g., anti-feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, feline and canine IL-12 single antibodies. As used herein, the term selectively binds to a protein refers to the ability of antibodies of the present invention to preferentially bind to specified proteins and mimetopes thereof of the present invention. Binding can be measured using a variety of methods standard in the art including enzyme immunoassays, e.g., ELISA, immunoblot assays, etc.; see, for example, Sambrook et al., ibid., and Harlow, et al., 1988, Antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press; Harlow et al., ibid., is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, an anti-feline IL-18 antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to a feline IL-18 protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein.

[0086] The antibodies of the present invention bind to the proteins of the present invention, but not to similar proteins of other species. For instance, the antibodies that specifically bind feline IL-18 do not bind canine IL-18

[0087] Isolated antibodies of the present invention can include antibodies in serum, or antibodies that have been purified to varying degrees. Antibodies of the present invention can be polyclonal or monoclonal, or can be functional equivalents such as antibody fragments and genetically-engineered antibodies, including single chain antibodies or chimeric antibodies that can bind to one or more epitopes.

[0088] A preferred method to produce antibodies of the present invention includes (a) administering to an animal an effective amount of a protein, peptide or mimetope of the present invention to produce the antibodies and (b) recovering the antibodies. In another method, antibodies of the present invention are produced recombinantly using techniques as heretofore disclosed to produce proteins of the present invention. Antibodies raised against defined proteins or mimetopes can be advantageous because such antibodies are not substantially contaminated with antibodies against other substances that might otherwise cause interference in a diagnostic assay or side effects if used in a therapeutic composition.

[0089] Antibodies of the present invention have a variety of potential uses that are within the scope of the present invention. For example, such antibodies can be used (a) to evaluate the immune status in felids and canids with diseases such as allergy, cancer and pathogen infections. Furthermore, antibodies of the present invention can be used to target cytotoxic agents to cells. Targeting can be accomplished by conjugating, i.e., stably joining, such antibodies to the cytotoxic agents using techniques known to those skilled in the art. Suitable cytotoxic agents are known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, antibodies of the present invention can be used to detect for example, feline L-18, caspase-1, canine IL-12 single chain, and/or feline IL-12 single chain in a putative IL-18, caspase-1, canine L-12 single chain, and/or feline IL-12 single chain containing biological sample, by contacting the putative IL-18, caspase-1, canine IL-12 single chain, and/or feline IL-12 single chain containing biological sample with the appropriate anti-IL-18, caspase-1, canine IL-12 single chain, and/or feline IL-12 single chain antibodies under conditions suitable for formation of an antigen-antibody complex, and then detecting said complex. Methods to detect said method are known to those skilled in the art and are contained herein.

[0090] The present invention includes proteins comprising SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50; SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67 as well as nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins.

[0091] Preferred feline IL-18 proteins of the present invention include PFeIL-1 8-N₁₃₃, PFeIL-18-C₁₅₄, PFeIL-18₁₉₂, and/or PFeIL-18₁₅₇. In one embodiment, a preferred feline IL-18 protein of the present invention has an amino acid sequence that includes SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and/or SEQ ID NO:12 and is preferably encoded by a nucleic acid molecule having nucleic acid sequences SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9 and/or SEQ ID NO:11. Such proteins are preferably encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄, nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂, nFeIL -18₆₀₇, nFeIL-18₅₇₆, and/or nFeIL-18₄₇₁.

[0092] Preferred feline caspase-1 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃, nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆, nFeCasp -1-C₅₀₀, and/or nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀. Preferred feline caspase-1 proteins are PFeCasp-1₄₁₀, PFeCasp-1-N₁₆₉, and/or PFeCasp-1 -C₁₂₀. In one embodiment, a preferred feline caspase-1 protein of the present invention is encoded by SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, and/or SEQ ID NO:23, and, as such, has an amino acid sequence that includes SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21 and/or SEQ ID NO:24.

[0093] Preferred canine and feline IL-12 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉, nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, and/or nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃. Preferred feline and canine IL-12 proteins are nFeIL -12p40-N₉₈₅, nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇, nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁, nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆, nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁, nFeIL -12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆, nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅, nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇, nCaIL -12p40₉₂₁, and nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇. In one embodiment, a preferred canine and feline IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention is encoded by SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:61, and/or SEQ ID NO:66, and, as such, has an amino acid sequence that includes SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67.

[0094] More preferred canine and feline IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅, nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇, nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁, nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆, nFeIL-12p35-N₅₆₁, nFeIL 12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆, nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅, nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇, nCaIL -12p40₉₂₁, nCaIL-12p40₉₈₇, nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃, and nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉ Preferred feline and canine IL-12 single chain proteins comprise PFeIL-12p40-N₃₂₈, PFeIL-12p40₃₂₉, PFeIL-12p40₃₀₇, PFeIL-12p35₂₂₂, PFeIL-12p35-N₁₈₇, PFeIL-12p35₁₉₇, PCaIL-12p35₂₂₂, PCaIL12p35₁₉₇, PCaIL-12p40₃₀₇, PCaIL-12p40₃₂₉, PFeIL-12₅₃₃, PFeIL-12₅₁₁, PCaIL-12₅₃₃, and PCaIL-12₅₁₁. In one embodiment, a preferred canine and feline IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention is encoded by a nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:104, SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:66, and, as such, has an amino acid sequence that includes SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID

[0095] NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO::62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67.

[0096] As used herein, an isolated protein of the present invention can be a full-length protein or any homolog of such a protein. An isolated protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to bind to a receptor or a protein. Examples of protein homologs of the present invention include proteins of the present invention in which amino acids have been deleted (e.g., a truncated version of the protein, such as a peptide), inserted, inverted, substituted and/or derivatized (e.g., by glycosylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, myristoylation, prenylation, palmitoylation, amidation and/or addition of glycerophosphatidyl inositol) such that the protein homolog includes at least one epitope capable of eliciting an immune response against the parent protein, of binding to an antibody directed against the parent protein and/or of binding to the parent's receptor, where the term parent refers to the longer and/or full-length protein that the homolog is derived from. That is, when the homolog is administered to an animal as an immunogen, using techniques known to those skilled in the art, the animal will produce an immune response against at least one epitope of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention, depending upon which protein is administered to an animal. The ability of a protein to effect an immune response can be measured using techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0097] Homologs of proteins of the present invention can be the result of natural allelic variation, including natural mutation. Protein homologs of the present invention can also be produced using techniques known in the art including, but not limited to, direct modifications to the protein and/or modifications to the gene encoding the protein using, for example, classic or recombinant DNA techniques to effect random or targeted mutagenesis.

[0098] One embodiment of the present invention is an IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12; and (ii) a protein encoded by an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12. Another embodiment is a caspase-1 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24; and (ii) a protein encoded by an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24. Yet another embodiment is a feline IL-12 single chain protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:38, and SEQ ID NO:44; and (ii) a protein encoded by an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:38, and SEQ ID NO:44; or a canine Il-12 single chain protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:62 and SEQ ID NO:67; and (ii) a protein encoded by an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:62 and SEQ ID NO:67.

[0099] One embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) an isolated protein of at least 25 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 25 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12; and (ii) an isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and a fragment thereof of at least 30 nucleotides. Preferred proteins have an at least 15 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 15 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 2 0 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 20 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 30 contiguous amino acid region identical a 30 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 40 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 40 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 50 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 50 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 75 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 75 contiguous amino acid region, preferably an at least 100 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 100 contiguous amino acid region, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12. In another embodiment, preferred proteins have an amino acid sequence that is at least 90 percent identical, at least 92 percent identical, preferably at least 94 percent identical, preferably at least 96 percent identical, and even more preferably at least about 98 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and a fragment thereof of at least 20 amino acids, at least 30 amino acids, at least 50 amino acids, at least 75 amino acids, preferably at least 100 amino acids, and more preferably a full-length protein.

[0100] In a preferred embodiment, IL-18 proteins of the present invention has a function selected from the group consisting of: (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and (iii) exhibiting IL-18 activity.

[0101] One embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated caspase-1 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) an isolated protein of at least 25 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 25 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24; and (ii) an isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and a fragment thereof of at least 30 nucleotides. Preferred proteins have an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 25 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 20 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 30 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 30 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 40 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 40 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 50 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 50 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 75 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 75 contiguous amino acid region, preferably an at least 100 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 100 contiguous amino acid region, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18,SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24. In another embodiment, preferred proteins have an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical, at least 88 percent identical, preferably at least 90 percent identical, and more preferably at least about 95 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and a fragment thereof of at least 30 amino acids, at least 50 amino acids, at least 75 amino acids, preferably at least 100 amino acids, and more preferably a full-length protein.

[0102] In a preferred embodiment, a caspase protein of the present invention has a function selected from the group consisting of: (i) eliciting an immune response against a caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against a caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and (iii) exhibiting caspase-1 activity.

[0103] One embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to an IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30. The p35 subunit is preferably selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36. Preferred amino acid sequences have an at least 23 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 23 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 30 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 30 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 40 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 40 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 50 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 50 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 75 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 75 contiguous amino acid region, preferably an at least 100 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 100 contiguous amino acid region, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30 In another embodiment, preferred proteins have an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical, at least 86 percent identical, at least 88 percent identical, preferably at least 90 percent identical, and more preferably at least about 95 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, and a fragment thereof of at least 30 amino acids, at least 50 amino acids, at least 75 amino acids, preferably at least 100 amino acids, and more preferably a full-length protein.

[0104] In a preferred embodiment, an IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention has a function selected from the group consisting of: (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67; (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:4-7, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67; and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity.

[0105] One embodiment of the present invention includes an isolated IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to an IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59. The p35 subunit is preferably selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50. Preferred amino acid sequences have an at least 23 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 23 contiguous region, an at least 30 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 30 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 40 contiguous amino acid region identical with a 40 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 50 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 50 contiguous amino acid region, an at least 75 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 75 contiguous amino acid region, preferably an at least 100 contiguous amino acid region contiguous with a 100 contiguous amino acid region, and most preferably a full-length protein identical in sequence to a full-length protein of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59. In another embodiment, preferred proteins have an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical, at least 86 percent identical, at least 88 percent identical, preferably at least 90 percent identical, and more preferably at least about 95 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, and a fragment thereof of at least 30 amino acids, at least 50 amino acids, at least 75 amino acids, preferably at least 100 amino acids, and more preferably a full-length protein.

[0106] In a preferred embodiment, an IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention has a function selected from the group consisting of: (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:62 and SEQ ID NO:67, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity.

[0107] One embodiment of the present invention is a therapeutic composition that, when administered to a animal in an effective manner, is capable of protecting that animal from a disease such as, for example, allergy, cancer or inflammation. Therapeutic compositions of the present invention include protective compounds that are capable of regulating feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, or feline or canine IL-12 protein amounts and/or activity. A protective compound of the present invention is capable of regulating feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, or feline or canine IL-12 activity and/or availability. Examples of protective compounds related to feline and canine proteins of the present invention include an isolated antibody that selectively binds to either feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, or feline or canine IL-12 or other inhibitors or activators of feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, or feline or canine IL-12 activity or amount. Other examples of protective compounds include an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention; an isolated protein of the present invention; a mimetope of a protein of the present invention, a multimeric form of any of said proteins, or an inhibitor identified by its ability to inhibit the activity of any of said proteins; such an inhibitor can inhibit binding of the respective protein with its receptor, or inhibit the activity of the respective protein. Methods to perform such assays to measure binding and/or activity of protein of the present invention are known to those of skill in the art, and are described, for example, in Janeway et al., ibid. As such, these protective compounds may include antibodies, peptides, substrate analogs, and other large or small molecules which can be organic or inorganic. As used herein, a protective compound refers to a compound, that when administered to an animal in an effective manner, is able to treat, ameliorate, and/or prevent a disease due to allergy, cancer or infection. Examples of proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitors of the present invention are disclosed herein.

[0108] The present invention also includes a therapeutic composition comprising at least one compound of the present invention in combination with at least one additional therapeutic compound. Examples of such compounds are disclosed herein.

[0109] The efficacy of a therapeutic composition of the present invention to protect an animal from a disease mediated by feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, or feline or canine IL-12 can be tested in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, detection of protective antibodies (using, for example, proteins or mimetopes of the present invention), detection of the amount of feline IL-18, feline caspase-1, or feline or canine IL-12,or detection of cellular immunity within the treated animal. Therapeutic compositions can be tested in animal models such as mice. Such techniques are known to those skilled in the art.

[0110] Therapeutic compounds of the present invention can be administered to any animal susceptible to such therapy, preferably to mammals, and more preferably to dogs, cats, humans, ferrets, horses, cattle, sheep and/or other pets, economic food animals, and/or zoo animals. Preferred animals include dogs and cats.

[0111] A therapeutic composition of the present invention is administered to an animal in an effective manner such that the composition is capable of regulating an immune response in that animal. Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be administered to animals prior to the onset of a disease (i.e. as a preventative vaccine) and/or can be administered to animals after onset of a disease in order to treat the disease (i.e. as a therapeutic vaccine). Preferred diseases to prevent and/or treat include autoimmune diseases, allergic reactions, infectious diseases, tumor development, inflammatory diseases and/or graft rejection. In one embodiment, a therapeutic composition of the present invention is administered with an antigen to enhance an immune response against that antigen. Such administration can include, but is not limited to, oral, intravenous, intramuscular, intra ocular, mucosal, intranasal, subcutaneous, topical or transdermal application. In order to protect an animal from disease, a therapeutic composition of the present invention is administered to the animal in an effective manner such that the composition is capable of protecting that animal from a disease. Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be administered to animals prior to disease in order to prevent disease and/or can be administered to animals after disease occurs. The exact dose, administration regimen, and administration route of therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be determined by one skilled in the art. A suitable single dose is a dose that is capable of regulating the immune response in an animal when administered one or more times over a suitable time period. For example, a preferred single dose of a protein, mimetope, or antibody therapeutic composition is from about 1 microgram (μg) to about 10 milligrams (mg) of the therapeutic composition per kilogram body weight of the animal. Booster vaccinations can be administered from about 2 weeks to several years after the original administration. Booster administrations preferably are administered when the immune response of the animal becomes insufficient to protect the animal from disease. A preferred administration schedule is one in which from about 10 μg to about 1 mg of the therapeutic composition per kg body weight of the animal is administered from about one to about two times over a time period of from about 2 weeks to about 12 months.

[0112] A therapeutic composition of the present invention can include at least one of the following: excipient, an adjuvant and a carrier. Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be formulated in an excipient that the animal to be treated can tolerate. Examples of such excipients include water, saline, Ringer's solution, dextrose solution, Hank's solution, and other aqueous physiologically balanced salt solutions. Nonaqueous vehicles, such as fixed oils, sesame oil, ethyl oleate, or triglycerides may also be used. Other useful formulations include suspensions containing viscosity enhancing agents, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sorbitol, or dextran. Excipients can also contain minor amounts of additives, such as substances that enhance isotonicity and chemical stability. Examples of buffers include phosphate buffer, bicarbonate buffer and Tris buffer, while examples of preservatives include thimerosal, or o-cresol, formalin and benzyl alcohol. Standard formulations can either be liquid injectables or solids which can be taken up in a suitable liquid as a suspension or solution for injection. Thus, in a non-liquid formulation, the excipient can comprise dextrose, human serum albumin, preservatives, etc., to which sterile water or saline can be added prior to administration.

[0113] Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can include an adjuvant. Adjuvants are agents that are capable of enhancing the immune response of an animal to a specific antigen. Suitable adjuvants include, but are not limited to, cytokines, chemokines, and compounds that induce the production of cytokines and chemokines (e.g., granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), colony stimulating factor (CSF), erythropoietin (EPO), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin-3(IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6(IL-6), interleukin 7 (IL-7), interleukin 8 (IL-8), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interferon gamma, transforming growth factor beta, RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted), macrophage inflammatory proteins (e.g., MIP-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta), and Leishmania elongation initiating factor (LEIF); bacterial components (e.g., endotoxins, in particular superantigens, exotoxins and cell wall components); aluminum-based salts; calcium-based salts; silica; polynucleotides; toxoids; serum proteins, viral coat proteins; block copolymer adjuvants (e.g., Hunter's Titermax™ adjuvant (Vaxcel™, Inc. Norcross, Ga.), Ribi adjuvants (Ribi ImmunoChem Research, Inc., Hamilton, Mont.); and saponins and their derivatives (e.g., Quil A (Superfos Biosector A/S, Denmark). Protein adjuvants of the present invention can be delivered in the form of the protein themselves or of nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins using the methods described herein.

[0114] Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can include a carrier. Carriers include compounds that increase the half-life of a protective compound in the treated animal. Suitable carriers include, but are not limited to, polymeric controlled release vehicles, biodegradable implants, liposomes, other lipid or lipid containing formulations, including cationic lipids or lipid mixtures including cationic lipids, bacteria, viruses, other cells, oils, esters, and glycols.

[0115] A therapeutic composition can be a controlled release formulation that is capable of slowly releasing a protective compound of the present invention into an animal. As used herein, a controlled release formulation comprises a composition or protective compound of the present invention in a controlled release vehicle. Suitable controlled release vehicles include, but are not limited to, biocompatible polymers, other polymeric matrices, capsules, microcapsules, microparticles, bolus preparations, osmotic pumps, diffusion devices, liposomes, lipospheres, other lipids or lipid-containing formulations and transdermal delivery systems. Other controlled release formulations of the present invention include liquids that, upon administration to an animal, form a solid or a gel in situ. Preferred controlled release formulations are biodegradable, i.e., bioerodible.

[0116] A preferred controlled release formulation of the present invention is capable of releasing a composition of the present invention into the blood of the treated animal at a constant rate sufficient to attain therapeutic dose levels of the composition to regulate an immune response in an animal. The therapeutic composition is preferably released over a period of time ranging from about 1 to about 12 months. A controlled release formulation of the present invention is capable of effecting a treatment preferably for at least about 1 month, more preferably for at least about 3 months, even more preferably for at least about 6 months, even more preferably for at least about 9 months, and even more preferably for at least about 12 months.

[0117] According to one embodiment, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be administered to an animal in a fashion to enable expression of that nucleic acid molecule into a therapeutic protein or therapeutic RNA (e.g. antisense RNA, ribozyme, triple helix forms or RNA drug) in the animal. Nucleic acid molecules can be delivered to an animal in a variety of methods including, but not limited to, (a) administering a naked (i.e. not packaged in a viral coat or cellular membrane) nucleic acid as a genetic vaccine (e.g. as naked DNA or RNA molecules, such is taught, for example, in Wolff et al., 1990, Science 247, p1465-68) or (b) administering a nucleic acid molecule packaged as a recombinant virus vaccine or as a recombinant cell vaccine (i.e. the nucleic acid molecule is delivered by a viral or cellular vehicle).

[0118] One embodiment of a therapeutic composition of the present invention is a naked nucleic acid, a recombinant virus or a recombinant cell vaccine or therapy. Naked nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can be administered by a variety of methods. Suitable delivery methods include, for example, intramuscular injection, subcutaneous injection, intradermal injection, intradermal scarification, particle bombardment, oral application, topical application and nasal application, with intramuscular injection, intradermal injection, intradermal scarification and particle bombardment being preferred. A preferred single dose of a naked nucleic acid molecule ranges from about 1 nanogram (ng) to about 1 milligram (mg), depending on the route of administration and/or method of delivery, as can be determined by those skilled in the art. Examples of administration methods are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,253, by Bruner, et al., issued Apr. 20, 1993, PCT Publication No. WO 95/19799, published Jul. 27, 1995, by McCabe, and PCT Publication No. WO 95/05853, published Mar. 2, 1995, by Carson, et al. Naked nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can be contained in an aqueous excipient (e.g., phosphate buffered saline) and/or with a carrier (e.g., lipid-based vehicles), or it can be bound to microparticles (e.g., gold particles).

[0119] According to one embodiment, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be administered to an animal in a fashion to enable expression of that nucleic acid molecule into a protective protein or protective RNA, e.g., antisense RNA, ribozyme, triple helix form or RNA drug, in the animal. Nucleic acid molecules can be delivered to an animal in a variety of methods including, but not limited to, (a) administering a naked, i.e., not packaged in a viral coat or cellular membrane, nucleic acid as a genetic therapy or vaccine, e.g., as naked DNA or RNA molecules, such as is taught, for example in Wolff et al., 1990, Science 247, 1465-1468, or (b) administering a nucleic acid molecule packaged as a recombinant virus therapy or vaccine or as a recombinant cell therapy or vaccine, i.e., the nucleic acid molecule is delivered by a viral or cellular vehicle.

[0120] A genetic, i.e., naked nucleic acid, therapy vaccine of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention and preferably includes a recombinant molecule of the present invention that preferably is replication or otherwise amplification, competent. A genetic therapy or vaccine of the present invention can comprise one or more nucleic acid molecules of the present invention operatively linked to a transcriptional control sequence in the form of, for example, a dicistronic recombinant molecule. Preferred viral vectors include those based on alphaviruses, poxviruses, adenoviruses, herpesviruses, picornaviruses, and/or retroviruses, with those based on alphaviruses (such as sindbis or Semliki forest virus) species-specific herpesviruses and/or poxviruses being particularly preferred. Any suitable transcription control sequence can be used, including those disclosed as suitable for protein production. Particularly preferred transcription control sequences include cytomegalovirus immediate early (preferably in conjunction with Intron-A), Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat, and tissue-specific transcription control sequences, as well as transcription control sequences endogenous to viral vectors if viral vectors are used. The incorporation of a “strong” polyadenylation signal is also preferred.

[0121] Genetic therapies and vaccines of the present invention can be administered in a variety of ways, with intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, transdermal, intranasal, topical and oral routes of administration being preferred. A preferred single dose of a genetic therapy or vaccine ranges from about 1 nanogram (ng) to about 600 μg, depending on the route of administration and/or method of delivery, as can be determined by those skilled in the art. Suitable delivery methods include, for example, by injection, as drops, aerosolized and/or topically. Genetic therapies or vaccines of the present invention can be contained in an aqueous excipient, e.g., phosphate buffered saline, alone or in a carrier, e.g., lipid-based vehicles. One embodiment is a nucleic acid-lipid complex, preferably a nucleic acid-cationic lipid complex.

[0122] A recombinant virus therapy or vaccine of the present invention includes a recombinant molecule of the present invention that is packaged in a viral coat and that can be expressed in an animal after administration. Preferably, the recombinant molecule is packaging- or replication-deficient and/or encodes an attenuated virus. A number of recombinant viruses can be used, including, but not limited to, those based on alphaviruses, poxviruses, adenoviruses, herpesviruses, picomaviruses, and retroviruses. Preferred recombinant virus vaccines are those based on alphaviruses, such as Sindbis virus, raccoon poxviruses, species-specific herpesviruses and species-specific poxviruses. An example of methods to produce and use recombinant virus therapies and vaccines is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,602, Xiong et al., issued Jun. 16, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,235, Haanes et al., issued May 19, 1998; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,197, Haanes et al., issued Sep. 8, 1998, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

[0123] When administered to an animal, a recombinant virus therapy or vaccine of the present invention infects cells within the immunized animal and directs the production of a protective protein or RNA nucleic acid molecule that is capable of protecting the animal from a disease. For example, a recombinant virus vaccine comprising a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be administered according to a protocol that results in the animal producing a sufficient immune response to protect itself from a disease mediated by IL-18. In another embodiment of the present invention a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule can be used as therapy to treat a disease. A recombinant virus vaccine comprising a feline IL-18 micleic acid molecule can be administered to an animal with clinical signs of disease according to a protocol that results in reduction and/or termination of clinical signs of disease. A preferred single dose of a recombinant virus therapy or vaccine of the present invention is from about 1×10⁴ to about 1×10⁸ virus plaque forming units (pfu) per kilogram body weight of the animal. Administration protocols are similar to those described herein for protein-based vaccines, with subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal, topical and oral administration routes being preferred.

[0124] A recombinant cell therapy or vaccine of the present invention includes recombinant cells of the present invention that express at least one protein of the present invention. Preferred recombinant cells for this embodiment include Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Mycobacterium, S. frugiperda, yeast, (including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris), BHK, CV-1, myoblast G8, COS, e.g.,COS-7, Vero, MDCK and CRFK recombinant cells. Recombinant cell therapy or vaccines of the present invention can be administered in a variety of ways but have the advantage that they can be administered orally, preferably at doses ranging from about 10⁸ to about 10¹² cells per kilogram body weight. Administration protocols are similar to those described herein for protein-based vaccines. Recombinant cell vaccines can comprise whole cells, cells stripped of cell walls or cell lysates.

[0125] In one embodiment of the present invention, a method to regulate an immune response in an animal by administering the therapeutic compound to an animal preferably a canine or feline, wherein the composition comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an excipient, an adjuvant and a carrier.

[0126] Proteins of the present invention can be used to develop regulatory compounds including inhibitors and activators that, when administered to an animal in an effective manner, are capable of protecting that animal from disease mediated by IL-18, caspase-1 or IL-12. Preferred regulatory compounds derived from the present invention include inhibitors and activators. In accordance with the present invention, the ability of a regulatory compound, including an inhibitor or activator, of the present invention to protect a felid or canid from disease mediated by IL-1 8, caspase-1 or IL-12 refers to the ability of that compound to, for example, treat, ameliorate or prevent a disease mediated by IL-1 8, caspase-1 or IL-12 in that animal.

[0127] An IL-18, caspase-1 or IL-12 single chain inhibitor of the present invention is identified by its ability to bind to, modify, or otherwise interact with, an IL-1 8, caspase-1 or IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention, thereby inhibiting the activity of the protein. Suitable inhibitors of activity are compounds that inhibit the activity of the proteins of the present invention in at least one of a variety of ways: (1) by binding to or otherwise interacting with or otherwise modifying the protein binding, (2) by interacting with other regions of the protein to inhibit activity, for example, by allosteric interaction, and (3) by binding to or otherwise interacting with or otherwise modifying a protein receptor binding site such that the protein is less likely to bind to the protein receptor binding site. Inhibitors of IL-1 8, caspase-1 and IL-12 single chain proteins are preferably relatively small compounds.

[0128] An embodiment of the present invention includes use of one of the following methods to identify a compound capable of regulating an immune response in an animal: (a) contacting an isolated feline IL-18 protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the protein has T cell stimulating activity; and determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the activity; (b) contacting an isolated feline caspase-1 protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the protein cleaves precursor IL-18 resulting in a biologically active mature IL-18; and determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the activity; and (c) contacting an isolated IL-12 single chain protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the protein has T cell proliferation stimulating activity; and determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the activity.

[0129] A variety of methods are known to one skilled in the art to detect binding of an IL-18, caspase-1 or IL-12 protein to its binding partner (e.g., an antibody or receptor, as appropriate). Such methods can be used to detect IL-12, casp-1, or IL-18, or Abs or other binding partners thereof in a biological sample or to produce inhibitors of such interactions. Such methods include, but are not limited to an assay in which, for example, IL-18 and an IL-18 binding partner can interact and/or bind to each other, using, for example, the yeast two-hybrid system, see for example, Luban, et al. 1995, Curr. Opin. Biotechnol., 6, 59-64; and identifying those proteins that specifically bind to the IL-18 protein binding domain. Additional methods to identify protein-protein interactions include Biacore® screening, confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, UV cross-linking, and immunoprecipitations. An example of a protein binding domain is an IL-18-binding domain, and a protein that would bind to an IL-18-binding domain would be IL-18. Additional teachings of general characteristics of reagents for use in the detection of binding between two moieties (e.g., between IL-18 and its receptor) as well as methods to produce and use such reagents are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,880, issued Sep. 28, 1999, by Frank et al.; and PCT International Publication No. WO 99/54349, published Oct. 28, 1999, by McCall et al.; each of these references is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; furthermore, the disclosed reagents and methods are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. It is to be noted that although the reagents and methods disclosed in each of the citations do not relate to the proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and inhibitors of the present invention per se, the disclosed reagents and methods are applicable by those skilled in the art to reagents, kits and detection methods of the present invention. Furthermore, proteins of the present invention can be used to develop regulatory compounds including inhibitors and activators that, when administered to a canid or felid in an effective manner are capable of protecting and treating that felid or canid from disease mediated by IL-18, caspase-1 or IL-12.

[0130] The following examples are provided for the purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The following examples include a number of recombinant DNA and protein chemistry techniques known to those skilled in the art; see, for example, Sambrook et al., ibid.

EXAMPLE 1

[0131] Identification of the nucleic acid molecules of the feline IL-18 is unexpected because initial attempts to isolate feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecules using standard cDNA screening techniques were unsuccessful.

[0132] This example describes the isolation, sequencing and expression of nucleic acid molecules encoding feline IL-18 proteins of the present invention.

[0133] A. Feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecules were isolated as follows: A cDNA mitogen library was prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours as previously described in Example 2 of PCT Publication No. WO 99/61618, entitled “Canine and Feline Immunoregulatory Proteins, Nucleic Acid Molecules, and Uses Thereof,” inventors Gek-Kee Sim, Shumin Yang, Matthew Dreitz, and Ramani Wonderling, filed May 28, 1999, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. An aliquot of this library was used as a template to isolate a feline IL-18 nucleic acid molecule by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc, Foster City, Calif.). Two overlapping nucleic acid molecules encoding partial length feline IL-18 proteins were obtained by using IL-18 specific primers in combination with cDNA library vector specific primers. All primers came from Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, Md. The sequence of the vector forward primer (T3 primer) was 5′ GCCAAGCTCG AAATTAACCC TCACTAAAGG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:72), and that of the vector reverse primer (T7 primer) was 5 CGACGGCCAG TGAATTGTAA TACGACTC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:73). The sequence of the IL-18-specific forward primer (IL-18 Forward 85) was 5′ AGTGATGAAG GCCTGGAATC AGATTACTTT G 3′ (SEQ ID NO:74) and the sequence of the IL-18-specific reverse primer (IL-18 Reverse 435) was 5′ ATGGCCTGGA ACACTTCTCT GAAAGAATAT GA 3′ (SEQ ID NO:75). The first PCR amplification was done using T3 primer and IL-13 Reverse 435 primer and the second PCR amplification was done using IL-18 Forward 85 primer and T7 primer. The PCR profile for both reactions were as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 59° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C for 7 minutes. The PCR products from both reactions were cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen, San Diego, Calif.) and the nucleic acid molecules were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). The PCR product from the first PCR amplification was sequenced and found to contain 514 nucleotides and was denoted herein as nFeIL-18₅₁₄ (5′-end partial clone) with a coding strand of SEQ ID NO:1, and a complementary strand of SEQ ID NO:3. The PCR product from the second PCR amplification was sequenced and found to contain 502 nucleotides and was denoted herein as nFeIL-18₅₀₂ (3′-end partial cl one) with a coding strand of SEQ ID NO:4, and a complementary strand of SEQ ID NO:6. These two nucleic acid molecules shared more than 280 base pairs (bp) and together provided the sequence for the complete feline IL-18 open reading frame. Translation of SEQ ID NO:1 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄ encodes an N-terminal portion of PFeIL-18-N protein, of about 133 amino acids, denoted herein as PFe IL-18-N₁₃₃, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:2, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 114 through nucleotide 116 of SEQ ID NO:1 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 510 through nucleotide 512 of SEQ ID NO:1. Translation of SEQ ID NO:4 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂ encodes an C-terminal portion of PFeIL-18-C protein, of about 154 amino acids, denoted herein as PFe IL-18-C₁₅₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:5, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 3 through nucleotide 5 of SEQ ID NO:4 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 462 through nucleotide 464 of SEQ ID NO:4.

[0134] Based on the sequence data obtained from these two nucleic acid molecules two new primers were made to isolate a cDNA encoding full-length feline IL-18. The IL-18 Full Forward primer sequence was 5′ AACTATTGAG CACAGGGATA AAGATGACTG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:76) and IL-18 Full Reverse primer sequence was 5′ AATATCTAAT TCTTGTTTTG AACAGTGAAC ATT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:77). The PCR amplification was performed using these two primers and Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.) and an aliquot of the cDNA library prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours. The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 53° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 90 seconds; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The PCR product was cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen, San Diego, Calif.) and the nucleic acid molecule insert was sequenced using an ABI PRISM™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using PRISM™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). This PCR product the FeIL-18 containing region of which is denoted nFeIL-18₆₀₇ was found to encode a full-length FeIL-18 protein. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nFeIL-18₆₀₇ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:7, and its complement is denoted by SEQ ID NO:10. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:7, denoted herein as nFeIL-18₅₇₆, the coding strand of which is denoted SEQ ID NO:9, and the complementary strand denoted SEQ ID NO:41 suggests that feline IL-18 encodes a protein containing 192 amino acids, referred to herein as PFeIL 18₁₉₂, with a SEQ ID NO:8. The nucleic acid sequence encoding feline IL-18 protein assumes an open reading frame in which the first codon spans from nucleotide 24 through 26 of SEQ ID NO:7, and the last codon spans from nucleotide 597 through nucleotide 599 of SEQ ID NO:7. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 21.3 kiloDaltons (kDa) for the precursor protein. The IL-18 precursor protein does not contain a signal sequence; in order for IL-18 to be biologically active the precursor is cleaved by caspase-1. The putative caspase-1 cleavage site is between amino acid positions 35 and 36 of the feline IL-18 precursor protein. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-18₄₇₁, which encodes the mature protein contains a coding strand with SEQ ID NO:11, and a complementary strand with SEQ ID NO:13. The amino acid sequence of the mature protein, denoted herein as PFeIL-18₁₅₇is SEQ ID NO:12 and the mature protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 17.4 kDa. Sequence analysis was performed using DNAsis™, available from Hitachi Software, San Bruno, Calif. using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5, k-tuple set at 3, number of top diagonals set at 5, window size set at 5, fixed gap penalty set at 10 and floating gap penalty set at 10.

[0135] B. In an attempt to express a mature feline IL-8 protein in a mammalian cell line, the region encoding only the mature IL-18 protein (SEQ ID NO:11) was isolated from the feline cDNA library described in Example 1A using the following primers: IL-18 MatNgo Forward primer which has the sequence 5′ TATGCCGGCT ACTTTGGCAA GCTTGAACAT AAACTC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:78) and IL-18 MatXho Reverse primer which has the sequence 5′ GGCCTCGAGC TAATTCTTGT TTTGAACAGT GAACATT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:79). The PCR amplification was performed using these two primers and Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.) and an aliquot of the cDNA library prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours. The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 53° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 90 seconds; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The PCR products were digested with Ngo MI and Xho I restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.) and ligated downstream of nucleotides encoding a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) signal sequence contained in the CMV-IntronA-tPA vector (available from Invitrogen). The construct was sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). This construct encoded the mature feline IL-18 protein with the tPA signal sequence. When Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (available from ATCC, Rockville, Md.) were transiently transfected with this construct, using techniques known to those skilled in the art and cell pellets and supernatants were harvested after 48 hrs. Western analysis was performed on the cell pellets and supernatant samples using a polyclonal antibody against human IL-18 (available from Biosource International, Camarillo, Calif.). A faint band of the expected size (about 17.4 kDa) was detected in the cell pellet and not in the supernatant, indicating that IL-18 is produced by this construct but it is not exported out of the cell at detectable levels. While not being bound by theory, it is believed that caspase-1 plays a key role in the processing of native IL-18 precursor in cells where IL-18 is produced, co-expression of full-length feline IL-18 along with the feline caspase-1 may be necessary for the proper processing of the IL-18 precursor and enhanced secretion of the processed IL-18 mature polypeptide.

EXAMPLE 2

[0136] This example describes the isolation and sequencing of nucleic acid molecules encoding feline caspase-1 proteins of the present invention.

[0137] Feline caspase-1 nucleic acid molecules were isolated as follows: A cDNA mitogen library was prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours as described in Example 1. An aliquot of this library was used as a template to isolate a feline caspase-1 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). The forward and reverse primers were designed based on human caspase-1 sequences. The forward primer (Casp-1For) had a sequence of 5′ ATGGCCGACA AGGTCCTGAA GGAGAAGA 3′ (SEQ ID NO:80) and the reverse primer (Casp-1 Rev) had a sequence of 5′ TTAATGTCCT GGGAAGAGGT AGAAACATCTTGT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:81). The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 53° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The PCR product was cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen, San Diego, Calif.) and sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). The PCR product was found to contain the complete full-length feline caspase-1 except for the primer region which was based on the human caspase-1 sequence. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of this PCR product is represented herein as nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ with a SEQ ID NO:14, and its complement is denoted by SEQ ID NO:16. Translation of SEQ ID NO:14 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ encodes a full-length nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ protein, of about 410 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeCasp-1₄₁₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:15, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 of SEQ ID NO:14 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 408 through nucleotide 410 of SEQ ID NO:14.

[0138] Additional primers were made based on the feline caspase-1 sequence of nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃ in order to obtain two nucleic acid molecules spanning the 5′ and 3′ end of the feline caspase-1 open reading frame. Two feline caspase-1 nucleic acid molecules were generated using feline caspase-1 specific primers in combination with cDNA library vector specific primers. The sequence of the vector forward primer (T3 primer) was 5′GCCAAGCTCG AAATTAACCC TCACTAAAGG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:72), and that of the vector reverse primer (T7 primer) was 5′ CGACGGCCAG TGAATTGTAA TACGACTC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:73). The sequence of the feline caspase-1-specific forward primer (Casp271 Forward) was 5′ TCAAGCCCAC AATCTGGAAA TTCTCA 3′ (SEQ ID NO:82) and the sequence of the feline caspase-1-specific reverse primer (Casp895 Reverse) was 5′ CTGGAGAGTC ACTGATCAAC AGCRTTCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:83). The first PCR amplification was done using T3 primer and Casp895 Reverse primer and the second PCR amplification was done using Casp271 Forward primer and T7 primer. The PCR profile for both reactions was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 52° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The PCR products from both reactions that were greater than or equal to 1 kb were gel purified and cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen) and the nucleic acid molecules were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). The nucleic acid molecules obtained from these two PCR products represented two nucleic acid molecules of feline caspase-1. The region of the first PCR amplification was sequenced and found to contain 527 nucleotides denoted herein as nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₇ (5 ′-end partial clone) with a coding strand of SEQ ID NO:17, and a complementary strand of SEQ ID NO:19. The region of the second PCR amplification was sequenced and found to contain 500 nucleotides denoted here as nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀(3′-end partial clone) with a coding strand of SEQ ID NO:20, and a complementary strand of SEQ ID NO:22. Translation of SEQ ID NO:17 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆ encodes an N-terminal portion of PFeCasp-1-N protein, of about 169 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeCasp-1-N,₆₉, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:18, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 18 through nucleotide 20 of SEQ ID NO:17 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 522 through nucleotide 524 of SEQ ID NO:17. Translation of SEQ ID NO:20 suggests that nicleic acid molecule nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀ encodes an C-terminal portion of PFeCasp-1-C protein, of about 120 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeCasp-1-C₁₂₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:21, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 3 through nucleotide 5 of SEQ ID NO:20 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 360 through nucleotide 362 of SEQ ID NO:20

[0139] Based on the sequence data obtained from nucleic acid molecules nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₇ and nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀, two new primers were made to isolate a cDNA encoding full-length feline caspase-1. The feline caspase-1 full-length forward primer (CaspBamKozFor) sequence was 5′ACAAGGATCC ACCATGGCCG ACAAGGATCT GAAGGG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:84) and feline caspase-1 full-length reverse primer (CaspXbaRev) sequence was 5′CGCCTCTAGA CCTCAATTGC CAGGGAAGAG ATAGAAGTA 3′ (SEQ ID NO:85). The PCR amplification was performed using these two primers and Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.) and an aliquot of the cDNA mitogen library prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours. The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 52° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The PCR product was cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen) and the nucleic acid molecule inserts were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). This PCR product the FeCaspase-1 containing region of which is denoted nFeCasp-11230 was found to encode the a full-length feline caspase-1 protein. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO 23, and its complement is denoted by SEQ ID NO:25. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:23, denoted here as nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀, the coding strand of which is denoted SEQ ID NO:25 suggests that feline caspase-1 encodes a protein containing 410 amino acids, referred to herein as PFeCasp-1₄₁₀, with a SEQ ID NO:24. The nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein assumes an open reading frame in which the first codon spans from nucleotide 1 through 3 of SEQ ID NO:23, and the last codon spans from nucleotide 1228 nucleotide 1230 of SEQ ID NO:23. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 45.5 kDa. The feline caspase-1 protein is 9 amino acids longer than mouse and rat caspase-1 proteins, 6 amino acids longer than dog and human caspase-1 proteins, and 5 amino acids longer than horse caspase-1 proteins. Sequence analysis was performed using DNAsis™, available from Hitachi Software, San Bruno, Calif. using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5, k-tuple set at 3, number of top diagonals set at 5, window size set at 5, fixed gap penalty set at 10 and floating gap penalty set at 10.

EXAMPLE 3

[0140] This example describes the isolation and sequencing of nucleic acid molecules encoding feline IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention.

[0141] A. A pBluescript-Linker plasmid was constructed as follows: Two complementary oligonucleotides, 60 nucleotides in length were synthesized. The oligonucleotides were allowed to hybridize to each other in solution producing a double stranded DNA fragment that would serve as a linker between the cDNAs encoding the p40 and p35 subunits of feline IL-12. The sequence of the sense linker was 5′CTGCAGTGGT GGCGGTGGCG GCGGATCTAG AAACTTGCCA ACCCCTACTC CATCCCCGGG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:83) and the sequence of the antisense linker was 5′CCCGGGGATG GAGTAGGGGT TGGCAAGTTT CTAGATCCGC CGCCACCGCC ACCACTGCAG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:84). Equimolar amounts of sense linker and antisense linker were mixed and heated to 95° C. for 10 minutes in a heat block. The heat block containing the samples was removed from the heat source and allowed to cool to room temperature slowly, over a period of 4 hours. Then the hybridized oligonucleotides were digested with PstI and SmaI restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.) and ligated into pBluescript SK⁺ vector (available from Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.) digested with the same restriction enzymes to produce pBluescript-Linker plasmid. The presence of the linker in the ligated pBluescript-Linker plasmid was confirmed by sequencing conducted as described in Example 1. The pBluescript-Linker plasmid contained DNA coding for the following elements: (1) the last two C-terminal amino acid residues of the p40 subunit (i.e. C,S); (2) the seven amino acid residues of the linker (i.e. GGGGGGS); and (3) the first ten N-terminal amino acid residues of the mature p35 subunit mature protein (i.e. RNLPTPTPSP).

[0142] B. Feline IL-12 p40 nucleic acid molecule subunit was isolated as follows: A cDNA mitogen library was prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours as previously described in Example 1. An aliquot of this library was used as a template to isolate a feline IL-12 p40 nucleic acid molecule subunit by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ ATGCATCCTC AGCAGTTGGT CATCGCCT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:85), and that of the reverse primer was 5′TGCAGGACAC GGATGCCCAG TTGCT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:86). The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 50° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. PCR products were cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen) and the nucleic acid molecule inserts were sequenced as described in Example 1. One of the sequenced PCR products contained 985 nucleotides and was denoted herein as nFeIL-12 p40-N₉₈₅ with a coding strand of SEQ ID NO:55, and a complementary strand of SEQ ID NO:57. Translation of SEQ ID NO:55 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p40-N₉₈₅ encodes an N-terminal portion of PFeIL-12p40-N protein, of about 328 amino acids, denoted herein as PFe IL-12p40-N₃₂₈, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:56, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 of SEQ ID NO:55 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 982 through nucleotide 984 of SEQ ID NO:55.

[0143] This nucleic acid molecule was used as a template for a subsequent PCR reaction to obtain a full-length nucleic acid molecule. The PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase ™ (PE Applied Biosystems Inc, Foster City, Calif.). The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ ACAGGTACCA TGCATCCTCA GCAGTTGGTC ATCGCCT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:87), and that of the reverse primer was 5′ CTAACTGCAG GACACGGATG CCCAG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:88). The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 35 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 50° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 90 seconds; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. This PCR product, the Fe IL-12p40 single chain subunit containing region of which is denoted nFeIL-12 p40987 was found to encode a full-length feline IL-12 p40 single chain subunit protein. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nFeIL-12 p40₉₈₇ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:29, and its complementary strand is denoted by SEQ ID NO:31. Translation of SEQ ID NO:29 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p40₉₈₇ encodes a full-length PFeIL-12p40 protein of about 329 amino acids, denoted herein as PFe IL-12p40₃₂₉, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:30, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 of SEQ ID NO:29 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 985 through nucleotide 987 of SEQ ID NO:29. This PCR product was digested with Kpn I and Pst I restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs) and cloned into the pBluescript-Linker plasmid described in Example 3A. The resultant recombinant molecule is referred to as fep40-linker plasmid. There is a putative cleavage site on SEQ ID NO:30, yielding the coding region for a mature (i.e. lacking a signal or leader sequence) nFeIL-12p40₉₂₁, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:26, with the complement denoted SEQ ID NO:28. Translation of SEQ ID NO:26 yields a mature IL-12 p40 protein denoted PFeIL-12p40₃₀₇, also denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:27.

[0144] C. A Feline IL-12 p35 nucleic acid molecule subunit was isolated as follows: A cDNA mitogen library was prepared from cat peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours as previously described in Example 1. An aliquot of this library was used as a template to isolate feline IL-12 p35 subunit by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (PE Applied Biosystems Inc, Foster City, Calif.). The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ ATGTGCCCGC CGCGTGGCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:89), and that of the reverse primer was 5′ CTAGGAAGCA TTCAGATAGC TCATCAT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:90). The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 50° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. PCR products were cloned into the TA-Cloning vector (available from Invitrogen) and the nucleic acid molecules were sequenced as described in Example 1. One of the sequenced PCR products contained 666 nucleotides and was denoted herein as nFeIL-12-p35₆₆₆, with a coding strand of SEQ ID NO:32, and a complementary strand of SEQ ID NO:34. Translation of SEQ ID NO:32 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12p35₆₆₆ encodes a full-length PFeIL-12p35 protein of about 222 amino acids, denoted herein as PFe IL-12p35₂₂₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:33, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 of SEQ ID NO:32 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 664 through nucleotide 666 of SEQ ID NO:32. There is a putative cleavage site on SEQ ID NO:33, yielding the coding region for a mature (i.e. lacking a signal or leader sequence) nFeIL-12p35₅₉₁, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:35, with the complement denoted SEQ ID NO:37. Translation of SEQ ID NO:26 yields a mature IL-12 p35 protein denoted PFe IL-12p35₁₉₇, also denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:36. SEQ ID NO:26 was digested with Sma I and Not I restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs) and cloned into the fep40-linker plasmid described in Example 3B digested with the same enzymes. The resultant recombinant molecule is referred to as fep40-linker-p35mature plasmid.

[0145] D. The fep40-linker-p35mature plasmid contained a nucleic acid molecule encoding a feline IL-12 single chain protein of the present invention inserted into the Kpn I and Not I sites of the pBluescript backbone. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉ was sequenced as described in Example 1. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:38, and that of the complementary strand is SEQ ID NO:40. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:38, suggests that nFeIL-12₁₅₉₉ encodes a protein containing 533 amino acids, referred to herein as pFeIL-12₅₃₃, with an amino acid sequence denoted by SEQ ID NO:39. The nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein assumes an open reading frame in which the first codon spans from nucleotide 1 through 3 of SEQ ID NO:38 and the last codon spans from nucleotide 1597 nucleotide 1599 of SEQ ID NO:38. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 59.2 kDa. The putative signal peptide cleavage site is between amino acid positions 22 and 23 of the p40 subunit. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃ which encodes the mature protein contains a coding strand with SEQ ID NO:43, and a complementary strand with SEQ ID NO:45. The amino acid sequence of the mature protein, denoted herein as PFeIL-12₅₁₁ is SEQ ID NO:44 and the mature protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 56.8 kDa.

[0146] Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (available From ATCC, Rockville, Md.) were transiently transfected with fep40-linker-p35mature plasmid (containing SEQ ID NO:38) using techniques known to those skilled in the art, cell pellets and supernatants were harvested after 48 hrs. Western analysis was performed on the cell pellets and supernatant samples using a polyclonal antibody against human IL-12 (available from Biosource International, Camarillo, Calif.). A faint band of the expected size (about 59.2 kDa) was detected in the cell pellet and in the supernatant, indicating that IL-12 is produced by this construct at detectable levels.

EXAMPLE 4

[0147] This example describes the isolation and sequencing of nucleic acid molecules encoding canine IL-12 single chain proteins of the present invention.

[0148] A. A canine IL-12 p35 nucleic acid molecule subunit was isolated as follows: A cDNA mitogen library was prepared from canine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) stimulated with ConA for 4 hours as described in Example 1. Recombinant phage containing DNA encoding the p35 subunit were identified by nucleic acid hybridization using a p³² radiolabeled probe. The p35 probe (nCaIL-12p35TA) was generated by PCR of total RNA, prepared from ConA-stimulated PBLs in the following manner. The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ CCATCCTGG CCTGCTAAG C 3′ (SEQ ID NO:93) and the sequence of the reverse primer was 5′ CCATCTGGTA CATCTTCAAG TC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:94). PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.) using the following profile: 95° C. for 2 minutes; then 30 cycles of 95° C. for 1 minute, 55° C. for 1 minute, and 1 minute; and a final extension at 72° C. for 10 minutes. The amplified DNA fragment was purified with Qiagen gel purification kit, available from Qiagen, La Jolla, Calif.) and PCR products were cloned into the TA cloning vector (available from Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif.), and the resulting clones were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, Calif.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). Phage DNA was permanently cross-linked to the nitrocellulose sheets using a Stratalinker® UV crosslinker (available from Stratagene). The plaque lifts were pre-hybridized in a solution of 6×SSC (20×SSC is 3.0 M NaCl and 0.3 M sodium citrate), 5×Denhardt's solution (50×SSC is 0.01 grams/milliliter Ficoll, type 400; 0.01 g/ml polyvinylpyrrolidone; and 0.01 g/ml bovine serum albumin, fraction V, all available from Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and 100 micrograms/ml denatured salmon sperm for 2 hours at 68° C. Denatured, radiolabeled probe was added to the pre-hybridization solution at a concentration of 1×10⁶ cpm/ml and the hybridization continued for 18-24 hours at 68° C. Nonspecifically bound and unbound probe was removed by washing two times in 2 ×SSC with 0. 1% SDS, 30 minutes each at 68° C. and one time in 1 ×SSC with 0.1% SDS, 60 minutes at 68° C. The hybridized plaque lifts were exposed to Kodak x-ray film for approximately 18 hours. Positive phage were plaque purified three times using the following hybridization protocol: phage plaques grown in solid top agar were lifted onto pure nitrocellulose sheets (available from Schleicher & Schuell, Keene, N.H.) then denatured and neutralized by soaking the sheets in 0.5 N NaOH/1.5 M NaCl, followed by 0.5 M Tris-HCl pH7.4/1.5 M NaCl. pbluescript plasmid, containing a cDNA encoding the full-length canine IL-12 p35 subunit, was excised from plaque purified phage using the ExAssist™ helper phage (available from Stratagene) following the manufacturers' instructions. The nucleotide sequence of that cDNA, denoted herein as nCa IL-12 p35₄₅₅ was verified by sequencing as described in Example 1. The nucleic acid sequence of the coding strand of nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅ represented as SEQ ID NO:104, and its complementary strand is SEQ ID NO:106. Translation of SEQ ID NO:104 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅ encodes an N-terminal portion of PCaIL-35 protein, of about 222 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-12p35₂₂₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:105, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 232 through nucleotide 234 of SEQ ID NO:104 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 895 through nucleotide 897 of SEQ ID NO:104.

[0149] Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12p35₁₄₅₅ was used as the template in PCR to obtain the coding region of the full-length form of canine IL-12 p35 subunit. The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ AAAAAACCCG GGTATGTTCC AATGTTTCAA CCACTCCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:95) and the sequence of the reverse primer was 5′ GCGGCCGCTC GAGTTAGGAA GAGTTCAAGT AGGACATCAT TCTATTGATG G 3′ (SEQ ID NO:96). PCR was performed using Pfu DNA polymerase (available from Stratagene) as follows: 95° C. for 45 seconds; then 25 cycles of 95° C. for 45 seconds, 55° C. for 45 seconds, 72° C. for 1 minute; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 10 minutes. The PCR product contains the nucleic acid sequence of canine IL-12 p35 subunit which encodes a full-length canine IL-12 p35 subunit protein. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:46 and its complementary strand is denoted SEQ ID NO:48. Translation of SEQ ID NO:46 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12p35₆₆₆ encodes a mature PCaIL-12p35 single chain protein of about 222 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-12p35₂₂₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:47, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 of SEQ ID NO:46 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 589 through nucleotide 591 of SEQ ID NO:46. The coding sequence for the mature polypeptide is encoded by SEQ ID NO:46, the coding region for a mature (i.e. lacking a signal or leader sequence) nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:49, with the complement denoted SEQ ID NO:51. Translation of SEQ ID NO:49 yields a mature IL-12 p35 protein denoted PCaIL-12p35₁₉₇, also denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:50. nCaIL-12p35₅₉₁ was digested with SmaI and XhoI restriction endonucleases (available from New England Biolabs) and ligated into the pBluescript-Linker plasmid described in Example 3A digested with the same enzymes. The resultant recombinant molecule is referred to as calinker-p35mature plasmid.

[0150] B. Canine IL-12 p40 nucleic acid molecule subunit was isolated as follows: A cDNA mitogen library was prepared from canine peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with ConA for 4 hours as described in Example 1. Recombinant phage containing DNA encoding the p40 subunit were identified by nucleic acid hybridization using a p³² radiolabeled probe. The p40 probe (nCaIL-12p40TA) was generated by PCR of total RNA, prepared from ConA stimulated PBLs in the following manner. The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ CTTAAAGGAA CAGAAAGAAT CC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:97) and the sequence of the reverse primer was 5′ GGTATTCCCA GCTGACCTC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:98). PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.) using the following profile: 95° C. for 2 minutes; then 30 cycles of 95° C. for 1 minute, 55° C. for 1 minute, and 72° C. for 1 minute and a final extension at 72° C. for 10 minutes. The amplified DNA fragment was purified with Qiagen gel purification kit, available from Qiagen, La Jolla, Calif.) and PCR products were cloned into the TA cloning vector (available from Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif.), and the resulting clones were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, Calif.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). Phage DNA was permanently cross-linked to the nitrocellulose sheets using a Stratalinker® UV crosslinker (available from Stratagene). The plaque lifts were pre-hybridized in a solution of 6×SSC (20×SSC is 3.0 M NaCl and 0.3 M sodium citrate), 5×Denhardt's solution (50×SSC is 0.01 grams/milliliter Ficoll, type 400; 0.01 g/ml polyvinylpyrrolidone; and 0.01 g/ml bovine serum albumin, fraction V, all available from Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and 100 micrograms/ml denatured salmon sperm for 2 hours at 68° C. Denatured, radiolabeled probe was added to the pre-hybridization solution at a concentration of 1×10⁶ cpm/ml and the hybridization continued for 18-24 hours at 68° C. Nonspecifically bound and unbound probe was removed by washing two times in 2×SSC with 0. 1% SDS, 30 minutes each at 68° C. and one time in 1×SSC with 0.1% SDS, 60 minutes at 68° C. The hybridized plaque lifts were exposed to Kodak x-ray film for approximately 18 hours. Positive phage were plaque purified three times using the following hybridization protocol: phage plaques grown in solid top agar were lifted onto pure nitrocellulose sheets (available from Schleicher & Schuell, Keene, N.H.) then denatured and neutralized by soaking the sheets in 0.5 N NaOH /1.5 M NaCl, followed by 0.5 M Tris-HCl pH7.4/1.5 M NaCl. pBluescript plasmid, containing a cDNA encoding the full-length canine IL-12 p40 subunit, was excised from plaque purified phage using the ExAssist™ helper phage (available from Stratagene) following the manufacturers' instructions. The nucleotide sequence of that cDNA, denoted herein as nCaIL-12p402267 was verified by sequencing as described in Example 1. The nucleic acid sequence of the coding strand of nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇ represented as SEQ ID NO:107, and its complementary strand is SEQ ID NO:109. Translation of SEQ ID NO:107 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12p40₂₂₆₇ encodes an PCaIL-12p40 protein, of about 329 amino acids, denoted herein as PCa IL-12p40₃₂₉, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:108, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 154 through nucleotide 156 of SEQ ID NO:107 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 1138 through nucleotide 1140 of SEQ ID NO:107. Full length canine IL-12 p40 nucleic acid molecule was isolated as follows: A plasmid containing full-length canine IL-12 p40 nucleic acid molecule subunit (pCaIL-12p40) was used as a template to sub-clone canine IL-12 p40 subunit by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification was performed using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). The sequence of the forward primer (Dog p40 KpnFor) was 5° CATAGGTACC ATGCACCCTC AGCAGTTGGT CATCTCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:99), and that of the reverse primer (Dog p40 NsiRev) was 5′ ATCTAAATGC ATGACACAGA TGCCCAGTC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:100). The PCR profile was as follows: one initial denaturation step at 94° C. for 5 minutes; then 35 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 55° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 2 minutes; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The PCR product contains the nucleic acid sequence of canine IL12 p40 subunit along with its native signal sequence which encodes a canine full-length IL-12 p40 subunit protein. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nCaIL-12 p40₉₈₇ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:58 and its complementary strand is denoted SEQ ID NO:60. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:58, suggests that canine IL-12 p40 subunit encodes a protein containing 329 amino acids, referred to herein as PCaIL-12 p40₃₂₉with an amino acid sequence denoted by SEQ ID NO:59. The resulting recombinant molecule is referred to as cap40-linker plasmid. The cap40-linker plasmid was digested with Kpn I and Pst I restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs) to remove the region encoding canine p40 mature protein. The PCR product containing the full-length canine p40 subunit (nCaIL-12 p40₉₈₇) was digested with Kpn I and Nsi I restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs) and cloned into this digested plasmid. The coding sequence for the mature canine IL-12 p40 polypeptide is encoded by SEQ ID NO:52, the coding region for a mature (i.e. lacking a signal or leader sequence) nCaIL-12p40₉₂₁, with the complement denoted SEQ ID NO:53. Translation of SEQ ID NO:52 yields a mature IL-12 p40 protein denoted PCaIL-12p35₃₀₇, also denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:53. nCaIL-12p40₉₂₁ was digested with SmaI and XhoI restriction endonucleases (available from New England Biolabs) and ligated into the pBluescript-Linker plasmid described in Example 3A digested with the same enzymes.

[0151] The resulting plasmid contains a nucleic acid molecule encoding a canine IL-12 single chain cloned at the Kpn I and Not I site into the pBluescript backbone. The complete canine IL-12 single chain insert was sequenced as described in Example 1. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nCaIL-12-single chain₁₅₉₉ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:61, and its complement is denoted by SEQ ID NO:63. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:61, denoted here as nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉ with a SEQ ID NO:64 suggests that canine IL-12-single chain encodes a protein containing 533 amino acids, referred to herein as PCaIL-12₅₃₃, with an amino acid sequence denoted by SEQ ID NO:62, assuming an open reading frame in which the first codon spans from nucleotide 1 through 3 of SEQ ID NO:61 and the last codon spans from nucleotide 1597 nucleotide 1599 of SEQ ID NO:61. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 59.2 kDa for the precursor protein, and about 56.8 kDa for the mature protein. The putative signal peptide cleavage site is between amino acid positions 22 and 23 of the canine p40 subunit protein. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃, which encodes the mature protein contains a coding strand with SEQ ID NO:66, and a complementary strand with SEQ ID NO:68. The amino acid sequence of the mature protein, denoted herein as pCaIL-12₅₁₁, is SEQ ID NO:67 and the mature protein has a predicted molecular weight of about 56.8 kDa.

[0152] Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (available from ATCC, Rockville, Md.) were transiently transfected with cap40-linker-p35mature plasmid using techniques known to those skilled in the art and cell pellets and supernatants were harvested after 48 hrs. Western analysis was performed on the cell pellets and supernatant samples using a polyclonal antibody against human IL-12 (available from Biosource International, Camarillo, Calif.). A faint band of the expected size (about 59.2kDa) was detected in the cell pellet and in the supernatant, indicating that IL-12 is produced by this construct at detectable levels.

1 109 1 514 DNA Felis catus CDS (114)..(512) 1 gctaaaggcg ctcctgccac cttctgccat ctacacagct caggaaaaga aagggacctc 60 aaaccttcca gatcccttcc tctcttagga aactattgag cacagggata aag atg 116 Met 1 act gct ata cca gta gat gat tgc atc aac ttt gtg gga atg aaa ttt 164 Thr Ala Ile Pro Val Asp Asp Cys Ile Asn Phe Val Gly Met Lys Phe 5 10 15 att gac aat aca ctt tac ttt gta gct gac agt gat gaa aac ctg gaa 212 Ile Asp Asn Thr Leu Tyr Phe Val Ala Asp Ser Asp Glu Asn Leu Glu 20 25 30 aca gat tac ttt ggc aag ctt gaa cat aaa ctc tca atc tta cga aac 260 Thr Asp Tyr Phe Gly Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg Asn 35 40 45 ttg aac gac caa gtt ctc ttc att aac cag gga gat caa cct gtg ttt 308 Leu Asn Asp Gln Val Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val Phe 50 55 60 65 gag gat atg cct gat tct gac tgt aca gat aat gca ccc cgg act gaa 356 Glu Asp Met Pro Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Thr Glu 70 75 80 ttt atc ata tat atg tat aaa gat agc ctc act aga ggt ctg gca gta 404 Phe Ile Ile Tyr Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala Val 85 90 95 acc atc tct gtg aat tat aag acc atg tct act ctc tcc tgt gag aac 452 Thr Ile Ser Val Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu Asn 100 105 110 aaa att att tcc ttt aan gga atg agt cct cct gag agt atc aat gat 500 Lys Ile Ile Ser Phe Xaa Gly Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn Asp 115 120 125 gaa gga aat gac at 514 Glu Gly Asn Asp 130 2 133 PRT Felis catus misc_feature (119)..(119) The ′Xaa′ at location 119 stands for Lys, or Asn. 2 Met Thr Ala Ile Pro Val Asp Asp Cys Ile Asn Phe Val Gly Met Lys 1 5 10 15 Phe Ile Asp Asn Thr Leu Tyr Phe Val Ala Asp Ser Asp Glu Asn Leu 20 25 30 Glu Thr Asp Tyr Phe Gly Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg 35 40 45 Asn Leu Asn Asp Gln Val Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val 50 55 60 Phe Glu Asp Met Pro Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Thr 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Ile Ile Tyr Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala 85 90 95 Val Thr Ile Ser Val Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu 100 105 110 Asn Lys Ile Ile Ser Phe Xaa Gly Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn 115 120 125 Asp Glu Gly Asn Asp 130 3 514 DNA Felis catus misc_feature (45)..(45) n = unknown at position 45 3 atgtcatttc cttcatcatt gatactctca ggaggactca ttccnttaaa ggaaataatt 60 ttgttctcac aggagagagt agacatggtc ttataattca cagagatggt tactgccaga 120 cctctagtga ggctatcttt atacatatat atgataaatt cagtccgggg tgcattatct 180 gtacagtcag aatcaggcat atcctcaaac acaggttgat ctccctggtt aatgaagaga 240 acttggtcgt tcaagtttcg taagattgag agtttatgtt caagcttgcc aaagtaatct 300 gtttccaggt tttcatcact gtcagctaca aagtaaagtg tattgtcaat aaatttcatt 360 cccacaaagt tgatgcaatc atctactggt atagcagtca tctttatccc tgtgctcaat 420 agtttcctaa gagaggaagg gatctggaag gtttgaggtc cctttctttt cctgagctgt 480 gtagatggca gaaggtggca ggagcgcctt tagc 514 4 502 DNA Felis catus CDS (3)..(464) 4 gc aag ctt gaa cat aaa ctc tca atc tta cga aac ttg aac gac caa 47 Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg Asn Leu Asn Asp Gln 1 5 10 15 gtt ctc ttc att aac cag gga gat caa cct gtg ttt gag gat atg cct 95 Val Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val Phe Glu Asp Met Pro 20 25 30 gat tct gac tgt aca gat aat gca ccc cgg nct gaa ttt atc ata tat 143 Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Xaa Glu Phe Ile Ile Tyr 35 40 45 atg tat aaa gat agc ctc act aga ggt ctg gca gta acc atc tct gtg 191 Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala Val Thr Ile Ser Val 50 55 60 aat tat aag acc atg tct act ctc tcc tgt gag aac aaa att att tcc 239 Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu Asn Lys Ile Ile Ser 65 70 75 ttt aag gaa atg agt cct cct gag agt atc aat gat gaa gga aat gac 287 Phe Lys Glu Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn Asp Glu Gly Asn Asp 80 85 90 95 atc ata ttc ttt cag aga agt gtt cca gga cat gat gat aag ata caa 335 Ile Ile Phe Phe Gln Arg Ser Val Pro Gly His Asp Asp Lys Ile Gln 100 105 110 ttt gag tct tca ttg tac aag ggg tac ttt cta gct tgt gaa aaa gag 383 Phe Glu Ser Ser Leu Tyr Lys Gly Tyr Phe Leu Ala Cys Glu Lys Glu 115 120 125 aaa gat ctt ttc aaa ctc att ttg aaa aaa aag gat gaa aat ggg gat 431 Lys Asp Leu Phe Lys Leu Ile Leu Lys Lys Lys Asp Glu Asn Gly Asp 130 135 140 aag tcc ata atg ttc act gtt caa aac aag aat tagatattaa aattgcataa 484 Lys Ser Ile Met Phe Thr Val Gln Asn Lys Asn 145 150 tttgaaaaaa aaaaaaaa 502 5 154 PRT Felis catus misc_feature (42)..(42) The ′Xaa′ at location 42 stands for Thr, Ala, Pro, or Ser. 5 Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg Asn Leu Asn Asp Gln Val 1 5 10 15 Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val Phe Glu Asp Met Pro Asp 20 25 30 Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Xaa Glu Phe Ile Ile Tyr Met 35 40 45 Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala Val Thr Ile Ser Val Asn 50 55 60 Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu Asn Lys Ile Ile Ser Phe 65 70 75 80 Lys Glu Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn Asp Glu Gly Asn Asp Ile 85 90 95 Ile Phe Phe Gln Arg Ser Val Pro Gly His Asp Asp Lys Ile Gln Phe 100 105 110 Glu Ser Ser Leu Tyr Lys Gly Tyr Phe Leu Ala Cys Glu Lys Glu Lys 115 120 125 Asp Leu Phe Lys Leu Ile Leu Lys Lys Lys Asp Glu Asn Gly Asp Lys 130 135 140 Ser Ile Met Phe Thr Val Gln Asn Lys Asn 145 150 6 502 DNA Felis catus misc_feature (377)..(377) n = unknown at position 377 6 tttttttttt ttttcaaatt atgcaatttt aatatctaat tcttgttttg aacagtgaac 60 attatggact tatccccatt ttcatccttt tttttcaaaa tgagtttgaa aagatctttc 120 tctttttcac aagctagaaa gtaccccttg tacaatgaag actcaaattg tatcttatca 180 tcatgtcctg gaacacttct ctgaaagaat atgatgtcat ttccttcatc attgatactc 240 tcaggaggac tcatttcctt aaaggaaata attttgttct cacaggagag agtagacatg 300 gtcttataat tcacagagat ggttactgcc agacctctag tgaggctatc tttatacata 360 tatatgataa attcagnccg gggtgcatta tctgtacagt cagaatcagg catatcctca 420 aacacaggtt gatctccctg gttaatgaag agaacttggt cgttcaagtt tcgtaagatt 480 gagagtttat gttcaagctt gc 502 7 607 DNA Felis catus CDS (24)..(599) 7 aactattgag cacagggata aag atg act gct ata cca gta gat gat tgc atc 53 Met Thr Ala Ile Pro Val Asp Asp Cys Ile 1 5 10 aac ttt gtg gga atg aaa ttt att gac aat aca ctt tac ttt gta gct 101 Asn Phe Val Gly Met Lys Phe Ile Asp Asn Thr Leu Tyr Phe Val Ala 15 20 25 gac agt gat gaa aac ctg gaa aca gat tac ttt ggc aag ctt gaa cat 149 Asp Ser Asp Glu Asn Leu Glu Thr Asp Tyr Phe Gly Lys Leu Glu His 30 35 40 aaa ctc tca atc tta cga aac ttg aac gac caa gtt ctc ttc att aac 197 Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg Asn Leu Asn Asp Gln Val Leu Phe Ile Asn 45 50 55 cag gga gat caa cct gtg ttt gag gat atg cct gat tct gac tgt aca 245 Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val Phe Glu Asp Met Pro Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr 60 65 70 gat aat gca ccc cgg act gaa ttt atc ata tat atg tat aaa gat agc 293 Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Thr Glu Phe Ile Ile Tyr Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser 75 80 85 90 ctc act aga ggt ctg gca gta acc atc tct gtg aat tat aag acc atg 341 Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala Val Thr Ile Ser Val Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met 95 100 105 tct act ctc tcc tgt gag aac aaa att att tcc ttt aag gaa atg agt 389 Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu Asn Lys Ile Ile Ser Phe Lys Glu Met Ser 110 115 120 cct cct gag agt atc aat gat gaa gga aat gac atc ata ttc ttt cag 437 Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn Asp Glu Gly Asn Asp Ile Ile Phe Phe Gln 125 130 135 aga agt gtt cca gga cat gat gat aag ata caa ttt gag tct tca ttg 485 Arg Ser Val Pro Gly His Asp Asp Lys Ile Gln Phe Glu Ser Ser Leu 140 145 150 tac aag ggg tac ttt cta gct tgt gaa aaa gag aaa gat ctt ttc aaa 533 Tyr Lys Gly Tyr Phe Leu Ala Cys Glu Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Phe Lys 155 160 165 170 ctc att ttg aaa aaa aag gat gaa aat ggg gat aag tcc ata atg ttc 581 Leu Ile Leu Lys Lys Lys Asp Glu Asn Gly Asp Lys Ser Ile Met Phe 175 180 185 act gtt caa aac aag aat tagatatt 607 Thr Val Gln Asn Lys Asn 190 8 192 PRT Felis catus 8 Met Thr Ala Ile Pro Val Asp Asp Cys Ile Asn Phe Val Gly Met Lys 1 5 10 15 Phe Ile Asp Asn Thr Leu Tyr Phe Val Ala Asp Ser Asp Glu Asn Leu 20 25 30 Glu Thr Asp Tyr Phe Gly Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg 35 40 45 Asn Leu Asn Asp Gln Val Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val 50 55 60 Phe Glu Asp Met Pro Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Thr 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Ile Ile Tyr Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala 85 90 95 Val Thr Ile Ser Val Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu 100 105 110 Asn Lys Ile Ile Ser Phe Lys Glu Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn 115 120 125 Asp Glu Gly Asn Asp Ile Ile Phe Phe Gln Arg Ser Val Pro Gly His 130 135 140 Asp Asp Lys Ile Gln Phe Glu Ser Ser Leu Tyr Lys Gly Tyr Phe Leu 145 150 155 160 Ala Cys Glu Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Phe Lys Leu Ile Leu Lys Lys Lys 165 170 175 Asp Glu Asn Gly Asp Lys Ser Ile Met Phe Thr Val Gln Asn Lys Asn 180 185 190 9 576 DNA Felis catus 9 atgactgcta taccagtaga tgattgcatc aactttgtgg gaatgaaatt tattgacaat 60 acactttact ttgtagctga cagtgatgaa aacctggaaa cagattactt tggcaagctt 120 gaacataaac tctcaatctt acgaaacttg aacgaccaag ttctcttcat taaccaggga 180 gatcaacctg tgtttgagga tatgcctgat tctgactgta cagataatgc accccggact 240 gaatttatca tatatatgta taaagatagc ctcactagag gtctggcagt aaccatctct 300 gtgaattata agaccatgtc tactctctcc tgtgagaaca aaattatttc ctttaaggaa 360 atgagtcctc ctgagagtat caatgatgaa ggaaatgaca tcatattctt tcagagaagt 420 gttccaggac atgatgataa gatacaattt gagtcttcat tgtacaaggg gtactttcta 480 gcttgtgaaa aagagaaaga tcttttcaaa ctcattttga aaaaaaagga tgaaaatggg 540 gataagtcca taatgttcac tgttcaaaac aagaat 576 10 607 DNA Felis catus 10 aatatctaat tcttgttttg aacagtgaac attatggact tatccccatt ttcatccttt 60 tttttcaaaa tgagtttgaa aagatctttc tctttttcac aagctagaaa gtaccccttg 120 tacaatgaag actcaaattg tatcttatca tcatgtcctg gaacacttct ctgaaagaat 180 atgatgtcat ttccttcatc attgatactc tcaggaggac tcatttcctt aaaggaaata 240 attttgttct cacaggagag agtagacatg gtcttataat tcacagagat ggttactgcc 300 agacctctag tgaggctatc tttatacata tatatgataa attcagtccg gggtgcatta 360 tctgtacagt cagaatcagg catatcctca aacacaggtt gatctccctg gttaatgaag 420 agaacttggt cgttcaagtt tcgtaagatt gagagtttat gttcaagctt gccaaagtaa 480 tctgtttcca ggttttcatc actgtcagct acaaagtaaa gtgtattgtc aataaatttc 540 attcccacaa agttgatgca atcatctact ggtatagcag tcatctttat ccctgtgctc 600 aatagtt 607 11 471 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(471) 11 tac ttt ggc aag ctt gaa cat aaa ctc tca atc tta cga aac ttg aac 48 Tyr Phe Gly Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg Asn Leu Asn 1 5 10 15 gac caa gtt ctc ttc att aac cag gga gat caa cct gtg ttt gag gat 96 Asp Gln Val Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val Phe Glu Asp 20 25 30 atg cct gat tct gac tgt aca gat aat gca ccc cgg act gaa ttt atc 144 Met Pro Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Thr Glu Phe Ile 35 40 45 ata tat atg tat aaa gat agc ctc act aga ggt ctg gca gta acc atc 192 Ile Tyr Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala Val Thr Ile 50 55 60 tct gtg aat tat aag acc atg tct act ctc tcc tgt gag aac aaa att 240 Ser Val Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu Asn Lys Ile 65 70 75 80 att tcc ttt aag gaa atg agt cct cct gag agt atc aat gat gaa gga 288 Ile Ser Phe Lys Glu Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn Asp Glu Gly 85 90 95 aat gac atc ata ttc ttt cag aga agt gtt cca gga cat gat gat aag 336 Asn Asp Ile Ile Phe Phe Gln Arg Ser Val Pro Gly His Asp Asp Lys 100 105 110 ata caa ttt gag tct tca ttg tac aag ggg tac ttt cta gct tgt gaa 384 Ile Gln Phe Glu Ser Ser Leu Tyr Lys Gly Tyr Phe Leu Ala Cys Glu 115 120 125 aaa gag aaa gat ctt ttc aaa ctc att ttg aaa aaa aag gat gaa aat 432 Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Phe Lys Leu Ile Leu Lys Lys Lys Asp Glu Asn 130 135 140 ggg gat aag tcc ata atg ttc act gtt caa aac aag aat 471 Gly Asp Lys Ser Ile Met Phe Thr Val Gln Asn Lys Asn 145 150 155 12 157 PRT Felis catus 12 Tyr Phe Gly Lys Leu Glu His Lys Leu Ser Ile Leu Arg Asn Leu Asn 1 5 10 15 Asp Gln Val Leu Phe Ile Asn Gln Gly Asp Gln Pro Val Phe Glu Asp 20 25 30 Met Pro Asp Ser Asp Cys Thr Asp Asn Ala Pro Arg Thr Glu Phe Ile 35 40 45 Ile Tyr Met Tyr Lys Asp Ser Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Ala Val Thr Ile 50 55 60 Ser Val Asn Tyr Lys Thr Met Ser Thr Leu Ser Cys Glu Asn Lys Ile 65 70 75 80 Ile Ser Phe Lys Glu Met Ser Pro Pro Glu Ser Ile Asn Asp Glu Gly 85 90 95 Asn Asp Ile Ile Phe Phe Gln Arg Ser Val Pro Gly His Asp Asp Lys 100 105 110 Ile Gln Phe Glu Ser Ser Leu Tyr Lys Gly Tyr Phe Leu Ala Cys Glu 115 120 125 Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Phe Lys Leu Ile Leu Lys Lys Lys Asp Glu Asn 130 135 140 Gly Asp Lys Ser Ile Met Phe Thr Val Gln Asn Lys Asn 145 150 155 13 471 DNA Felis catus 13 attcttgttt tgaacagtga acattatgga cttatcccca ttttcatcct tttttttcaa 60 aatgagtttg aaaagatctt tctctttttc acaagctaga aagtacccct tgtacaatga 120 agactcaaat tgtatcttat catcatgtcc tggaacactt ctctgaaaga atatgatgtc 180 atttccttca tcattgatac tctcaggagg actcatttcc ttaaaggaaa taattttgtt 240 ctcacaggag agagtagaca tggtcttata attcacagag atggttactg ccagacctct 300 agtgaggcta tctttataca tatatatgat aaattcagtc cggggtgcat tatctgtaca 360 gtcagaatca ggcatatcct caaacacagg ttgatctccc tggttaatga agagaacttg 420 gtcgttcaag tttcgtaaga ttgagagttt atgttcaagc ttgccaaagt a 471 14 1233 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(1230) 14 atg gcc gac aag gtc ctg aag gag aag agg aag cag ttc atc aac tca 48 Met Ala Asp Lys Val Leu Lys Glu Lys Arg Lys Gln Phe Ile Asn Ser 1 5 10 15 gtc ggc atg ggg acg gtc aac ggc ttg ctg gat gaa ctc ttt gag aaa 96 Val Gly Met Gly Thr Val Asn Gly Leu Leu Asp Glu Leu Phe Glu Lys 20 25 30 aac gtg ctg aac cag gag gag atg gag aga gta aaa tgt gaa aac gct 144 Asn Val Leu Asn Gln Glu Glu Met Glu Arg Val Lys Cys Glu Asn Ala 35 40 45 acc gtt atg gac aag gcc cga gct ctg atc gac agc gtc ctg cgg aaa 192 Thr Val Met Asp Lys Ala Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Ser Val Leu Arg Lys 50 55 60 ggg cca cgg gcg tgc cag atc ttt atc tgt cac atc tgt gag gaa gac 240 Gly Pro Arg Ala Cys Gln Ile Phe Ile Cys His Ile Cys Glu Glu Asp 65 70 75 80 acc cac ctt gca gag acg ctg ggg ctc tcc tca agc cca caa tct gga 288 Thr His Leu Ala Glu Thr Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser Ser Pro Gln Ser Gly 85 90 95 aat tct cag aac acc acg gac tct gaa gta gcg ttt cct cct ctt cca 336 Asn Ser Gln Asn Thr Thr Asp Ser Glu Val Ala Phe Pro Pro Leu Pro 100 105 110 gcc agc gtg aat aac atg cct ggg ccg gct gag cca gaa gaa tct gta 384 Ala Ser Val Asn Asn Met Pro Gly Pro Ala Glu Pro Glu Glu Ser Val 115 120 125 gat gct ctc aag ctt tgt cct cgt gaa aac ttc gtg aaa ctg tgt aaa 432 Asp Ala Leu Lys Leu Cys Pro Arg Glu Asn Phe Val Lys Leu Cys Lys 130 135 140 cag agg gct gaa gag atc tac cca ata aag gag aga aag gat cgt act 480 Gln Arg Ala Glu Glu Ile Tyr Pro Ile Lys Glu Arg Lys Asp Arg Thr 145 150 155 160 cgt ctg gct ctc atc ata tgc aat acg acg ttc gat cat ctt tct ctc 528 Arg Leu Ala Leu Ile Ile Cys Asn Thr Thr Phe Asp His Leu Ser Leu 165 170 175 agg aag ggg gct gac ctt gac gtt gca ggg atg agg agg ctg ctt aca 576 Arg Lys Gly Ala Asp Leu Asp Val Ala Gly Met Arg Arg Leu Leu Thr 180 185 190 gac ctt ggc tac agt gtg cac ata aaa gag gaa ctc act gct aag gac 624 Asp Leu Gly Tyr Ser Val His Ile Lys Glu Glu Leu Thr Ala Lys Asp 195 200 205 atg gaa tca gag ctg agg gca ttt gct gcc cgt cca gag cac aag tcc 672 Met Glu Ser Glu Leu Arg Ala Phe Ala Ala Arg Pro Glu His Lys Ser 210 215 220 tcg gac agc aca ttc ctg gtg ttc atg tct cat ggc atc ctg agt gga 720 Ser Asp Ser Thr Phe Leu Val Phe Met Ser His Gly Ile Leu Ser Gly 225 230 235 240 atc tgt ggg acg aag tac agc gct gaa gga gac cca gat gta ttg gct 768 Ile Cys Gly Thr Lys Tyr Ser Ala Glu Gly Asp Pro Asp Val Leu Ala 245 250 255 tat gac acc atc ttc cag att ttc aac aac cgc aac tgc ctt agt cta 816 Tyr Asp Thr Ile Phe Gln Ile Phe Asn Asn Arg Asn Cys Leu Ser Leu 260 265 270 aag gac aag ccc aag gtc atc atc gtc cag gcc tgc aga ggt gaa aat 864 Lys Asp Lys Pro Lys Val Ile Ile Val Gln Ala Cys Arg Gly Glu Asn 275 280 285 ttg ggg gaa ctg ttg atc agt gac tct cca gcg gcc cca atg gac agc 912 Leu Gly Glu Leu Leu Ile Ser Asp Ser Pro Ala Ala Pro Met Asp Ser 290 295 300 act tca cag atg ggt agc agc ctt tca cag gtg ggt gac aac cta gag 960 Thr Ser Gln Met Gly Ser Ser Leu Ser Gln Val Gly Asp Asn Leu Glu 305 310 315 320 gac gac gcc att tac aag gtc cac gtg gag aag gac ttc atc gct ttc 1008 Asp Asp Ala Ile Tyr Lys Val His Val Glu Lys Asp Phe Ile Ala Phe 325 330 335 tgc tcc tcg acc cca cat cat gtg tct tgg aga gac gtg aac aag gga 1056 Cys Ser Ser Thr Pro His His Val Ser Trp Arg Asp Val Asn Lys Gly 340 345 350 tct ctc ttc att aca caa ctc atc acg tgc ttc caa aag tat tcg tgg 1104 Ser Leu Phe Ile Thr Gln Leu Ile Thr Cys Phe Gln Lys Tyr Ser Trp 355 360 365 tgc ttt cat ctg gag gaa gta ttt cgg aag gta caa cag tca ttt gaa 1152 Cys Phe His Leu Glu Glu Val Phe Arg Lys Val Gln Gln Ser Phe Glu 370 375 380 aaa cca aat gtt aga gcc cag atg ccc acc att gaa cga cta tcc atg 1200 Lys Pro Asn Val Arg Ala Gln Met Pro Thr Ile Glu Arg Leu Ser Met 385 390 395 400 aca aga tgt ttc tac ctc ttc cca gga cat taa 1233 Thr Arg Cys Phe Tyr Leu Phe Pro Gly His 405 410 15 410 PRT Felis catus 15 Met Ala Asp Lys Val Leu Lys Glu Lys Arg Lys Gln Phe Ile Asn Ser 1 5 10 15 Val Gly Met Gly Thr Val Asn Gly Leu Leu Asp Glu Leu Phe Glu Lys 20 25 30 Asn Val Leu Asn Gln Glu Glu Met Glu Arg Val Lys Cys Glu Asn Ala 35 40 45 Thr Val Met Asp Lys Ala Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Ser Val Leu Arg Lys 50 55 60 Gly Pro Arg Ala Cys Gln Ile Phe Ile Cys His Ile Cys Glu Glu Asp 65 70 75 80 Thr His Leu Ala Glu Thr Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser Ser Pro Gln Ser Gly 85 90 95 Asn Ser Gln Asn Thr Thr Asp Ser Glu Val Ala Phe Pro Pro Leu Pro 100 105 110 Ala Ser Val Asn Asn Met Pro Gly Pro Ala Glu Pro Glu Glu Ser Val 115 120 125 Asp Ala Leu Lys Leu Cys Pro Arg Glu Asn Phe Val Lys Leu Cys Lys 130 135 140 Gln Arg Ala Glu Glu Ile Tyr Pro Ile Lys Glu Arg Lys Asp Arg Thr 145 150 155 160 Arg Leu Ala Leu Ile Ile Cys Asn Thr Thr Phe Asp His Leu Ser Leu 165 170 175 Arg Lys Gly Ala Asp Leu Asp Val Ala Gly Met Arg Arg Leu Leu Thr 180 185 190 Asp Leu Gly Tyr Ser Val His Ile Lys Glu Glu Leu Thr Ala Lys Asp 195 200 205 Met Glu Ser Glu Leu Arg Ala Phe Ala Ala Arg Pro Glu His Lys Ser 210 215 220 Ser Asp Ser Thr Phe Leu Val Phe Met Ser His Gly Ile Leu Ser Gly 225 230 235 240 Ile Cys Gly Thr Lys Tyr Ser Ala Glu Gly Asp Pro Asp Val Leu Ala 245 250 255 Tyr Asp Thr Ile Phe Gln Ile Phe Asn Asn Arg Asn Cys Leu Ser Leu 260 265 270 Lys Asp Lys Pro Lys Val Ile Ile Val Gln Ala Cys Arg Gly Glu Asn 275 280 285 Leu Gly Glu Leu Leu Ile Ser Asp Ser Pro Ala Ala Pro Met Asp Ser 290 295 300 Thr Ser Gln Met Gly Ser Ser Leu Ser Gln Val Gly Asp Asn Leu Glu 305 310 315 320 Asp Asp Ala Ile Tyr Lys Val His Val Glu Lys Asp Phe Ile Ala Phe 325 330 335 Cys Ser Ser Thr Pro His His Val Ser Trp Arg Asp Val Asn Lys Gly 340 345 350 Ser Leu Phe Ile Thr Gln Leu Ile Thr Cys Phe Gln Lys Tyr Ser Trp 355 360 365 Cys Phe His Leu Glu Glu Val Phe Arg Lys Val Gln Gln Ser Phe Glu 370 375 380 Lys Pro Asn Val Arg Ala Gln Met Pro Thr Ile Glu Arg Leu Ser Met 385 390 395 400 Thr Arg Cys Phe Tyr Leu Phe Pro Gly His 405 410 16 1233 DNA Felis catus 16 ttaatgtcct gggaagaggt agaaacatct tgtcatggat agtcgttcaa tggtgggcat 60 ctgggctcta acatttggtt tttcaaatga ctgttgtacc ttccgaaata cttcctccag 120 atgaaagcac cacgaatact tttggaagca cgtgatgagt tgtgtaatga agagagatcc 180 cttgttcacg tctctccaag acacatgatg tggggtcgag gagcagaaag cgatgaagtc 240 cttctccacg tggaccttgt aaatggcgtc gtcctctagg ttgtcaccca cctgtgaaag 300 gctgctaccc atctgtgaag tgctgtccat tggggccgct ggagagtcac tgatcaacag 360 ttcccccaaa ttttcacctc tgcaggcctg gacgatgatg accttgggct tgtcctttag 420 actaaggcag ttgcggttgt tgaaaatctg gaagatggtg tcataagcca atacatctgg 480 gtctccttca gcgctgtact tcgtcccaca gattccactc aggatgccat gagacatgaa 540 caccaggaat gtgctgtccg aggacttgtg ctctggacgg gcagcaaatg ccctcagctc 600 tgattccatg tccttagcag tgagttcctc ttttatgtgc acactgtagc caaggtctgt 660 aagcagcctc ctcatccctg caacgtcaag gtcagccccc ttcctgagag aaagatgatc 720 gaacgtcgta ttgcatatga tgagagccag acgagtacga tcctttctct cctttattgg 780 gtagatctct tcagccctct gtttacacag tttcacgaag ttttcacgag gacaaagctt 840 gagagcatct acagattctt ctggctcagc cggcccaggc atgttattca cgctggctgg 900 aagaggagga aacgctactt cagagtccgt ggtgttctga gaatttccag attgtgggct 960 tgaggagagc cccagcgtct ctgcaaggtg ggtgtcttcc tcacagatgt gacagataaa 1020 gatctggcac gcccgtggcc ctttccgcag gacgctgtcg atcagagctc gggccttgtc 1080 cataacggta gcgttttcac attttactct ctccatctcc tcctggttca gcacgttttt 1140 ctcaaagagt tcatccagca agccgttgac cgtccccatg ccgactgagt tgatgaactg 1200 cttcctcttc tccttcagga ccttgtcggc cat 1233 17 526 DNA Felis catus CDS (18)..(524) 17 ggcacgagca aaaagcc atg gcc gac aag gat ctg aag ggc aag agg aag 50 Met Ala Asp Lys Asp Leu Lys Gly Lys Arg Lys 1 5 10 cag ttc atc aac tca gtc ggc atg ggg acg gtc aac ggc ttg ctg gat 98 Gln Phe Ile Asn Ser Val Gly Met Gly Thr Val Asn Gly Leu Leu Asp 15 20 25 gaa ctc ttt gag aaa aac gtg ctg aac cag gag gag atg gag aga gta 146 Glu Leu Phe Glu Lys Asn Val Leu Asn Gln Glu Glu Met Glu Arg Val 30 35 40 aaa tgt gaa aac gct acc gtt atg gac aag gcc cga gct ctg atc gac 194 Lys Cys Glu Asn Ala Thr Val Met Asp Lys Ala Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp 45 50 55 agc gtc ctg cgg aaa ggg cca cgg gcg tgc cag atc ttt atc tgt cac 242 Ser Val Leu Arg Lys Gly Pro Arg Ala Cys Gln Ile Phe Ile Cys His 60 65 70 75 atc tgt gag gaa gac acc cac ctt gca gag acg ctg ggg ctc tcc tca 290 Ile Cys Glu Glu Asp Thr His Leu Ala Glu Thr Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser 80 85 90 agc cca caa tct gga aat tct cag aac acc acg gac tct gaa gta gcg 338 Ser Pro Gln Ser Gly Asn Ser Gln Asn Thr Thr Asp Ser Glu Val Ala 95 100 105 ttt cct cct ctt cca gcc agc gtg aat aac atg cct ggg ccg gct gag 386 Phe Pro Pro Leu Pro Ala Ser Val Asn Asn Met Pro Gly Pro Ala Glu 110 115 120 cca gaa gaa tct gta gat gct ctc aag ctt tgt cct cgt gaa aac ttc 434 Pro Glu Glu Ser Val Asp Ala Leu Lys Leu Cys Pro Arg Glu Asn Phe 125 130 135 gtg aaa ctg tgt aaa cag agg gct gaa gag atc tac cca ata aag gag 482 Val Lys Leu Cys Lys Gln Arg Ala Glu Glu Ile Tyr Pro Ile Lys Glu 140 145 150 155 aga aag gat cgt act cgt ctg gct ctc atc ata tgc aat acg ac 526 Arg Lys Asp Arg Thr Arg Leu Ala Leu Ile Ile Cys Asn Thr 160 165 18 169 PRT Felis catus 18 Met Ala Asp Lys Asp Leu Lys Gly Lys Arg Lys Gln Phe Ile Asn Ser 1 5 10 15 Val Gly Met Gly Thr Val Asn Gly Leu Leu Asp Glu Leu Phe Glu Lys 20 25 30 Asn Val Leu Asn Gln Glu Glu Met Glu Arg Val Lys Cys Glu Asn Ala 35 40 45 Thr Val Met Asp Lys Ala Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Ser Val Leu Arg Lys 50 55 60 Gly Pro Arg Ala Cys Gln Ile Phe Ile Cys His Ile Cys Glu Glu Asp 65 70 75 80 Thr His Leu Ala Glu Thr Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser Ser Pro Gln Ser Gly 85 90 95 Asn Ser Gln Asn Thr Thr Asp Ser Glu Val Ala Phe Pro Pro Leu Pro 100 105 110 Ala Ser Val Asn Asn Met Pro Gly Pro Ala Glu Pro Glu Glu Ser Val 115 120 125 Asp Ala Leu Lys Leu Cys Pro Arg Glu Asn Phe Val Lys Leu Cys Lys 130 135 140 Gln Arg Ala Glu Glu Ile Tyr Pro Ile Lys Glu Arg Lys Asp Arg Thr 145 150 155 160 Arg Leu Ala Leu Ile Ile Cys Asn Thr 165 19 526 DNA Felis catus 19 gtcgtattgc atatgatgag agccagacga gtacgatcct ttctctcctt tattgggtag 60 atctcttcag ccctctgttt acacagtttc acgaagtttt cacgaggaca aagcttgaga 120 gcatctacag attcttctgg ctcagccggc ccaggcatgt tattcacgct ggctggaaga 180 ggaggaaacg ctacttcaga gtccgtggtg ttctgagaat ttccagattg tgggcttgag 240 gagagcccca gcgtctctgc aaggtgggtg tcttcctcac agatgtgaca gataaagatc 300 tggcacgccc gtggcccttt ccgcaggacg ctgtcgatca gagctcgggc cttgtccata 360 acggtagcgt tttcacattt tactctctcc atctcctcct ggttcagcac gtttttctca 420 aagagttcat ccagcaagcc gttgaccgtc cccatgccga ctgagttgat gaactgcttc 480 ctcttgccct tcagatcctt gtcggccatg gctttttgct cgtgcc 526 20 500 DNA Felis catus CDS (3)..(362) 20 gg gaa ctg ttg atc agt gac tct cca gcg gcc cca atg gac agc act 47 Glu Leu Leu Ile Ser Asp Ser Pro Ala Ala Pro Met Asp Ser Thr 1 5 10 15 tca cag atg ggt agc agc ctt tca cag gtg ggt gac aac cta gag gac 95 Ser Gln Met Gly Ser Ser Leu Ser Gln Val Gly Asp Asn Leu Glu Asp 20 25 30 gac gcc att tac aag gtc cac gtg gag aag gac ttc atc gct ttc tgc 143 Asp Ala Ile Tyr Lys Val His Val Glu Lys Asp Phe Ile Ala Phe Cys 35 40 45 tcc tcg acc cca cat cat gtg tct tgg aga gac gtg aac aag gga tct 191 Ser Ser Thr Pro His His Val Ser Trp Arg Asp Val Asn Lys Gly Ser 50 55 60 ctc ttc att aca caa ctc atc acg tgc ttc caa aag tat tcg tgg tgc 239 Leu Phe Ile Thr Gln Leu Ile Thr Cys Phe Gln Lys Tyr Ser Trp Cys 65 70 75 ttt cat ctg gag gaa gta ttt cgg aag gta caa cag tca ttt gaa aaa 287 Phe His Leu Glu Glu Val Phe Arg Lys Val Gln Gln Ser Phe Glu Lys 80 85 90 95 cca aat gtt aga gcc cag atg ccc acc att gaa cga cta tcc atg aca 335 Pro Asn Val Arg Ala Gln Met Pro Thr Ile Glu Arg Leu Ser Met Thr 100 105 110 aga tac ttc tat ctc ttc cct ggc aat tgaaaatagc aatcatgggc 382 Arg Tyr Phe Tyr Leu Phe Pro Gly Asn 115 120 agtccagccc ttcttgacca acttggaaaa gtaccttagc tagcacaaca cactcattta 442 acgtttggta tctcaataaa aatgaaaaca nctaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa 500 21 120 PRT Felis catus misc_feature (473)..(473) n = unknown at position 473 21 Glu Leu Leu Ile Ser Asp Ser Pro Ala Ala Pro Met Asp Ser Thr Ser 1 5 10 15 Gln Met Gly Ser Ser Leu Ser Gln Val Gly Asp Asn Leu Glu Asp Asp 20 25 30 Ala Ile Tyr Lys Val His Val Glu Lys Asp Phe Ile Ala Phe Cys Ser 35 40 45 Ser Thr Pro His His Val Ser Trp Arg Asp Val Asn Lys Gly Ser Leu 50 55 60 Phe Ile Thr Gln Leu Ile Thr Cys Phe Gln Lys Tyr Ser Trp Cys Phe 65 70 75 80 His Leu Glu Glu Val Phe Arg Lys Val Gln Gln Ser Phe Glu Lys Pro 85 90 95 Asn Val Arg Ala Gln Met Pro Thr Ile Glu Arg Leu Ser Met Thr Arg 100 105 110 Tyr Phe Tyr Leu Phe Pro Gly Asn 115 120 22 500 DNA Felis catus misc_feature (28)..(28) n = unknown at position 28 22 tttttttttt tttttttttt tttttagntg ttttcatttt tattgagata ccaaacgtta 60 aatgagtgtg ttgtgctagc taaggtactt ttccaagttg gtcaagaagg gctggactgc 120 ccatgattgc tattttcaat tgccagggaa gagatagaag tatcttgtca tggatagtcg 180 ttcaatggtg ggcatctggg ctctaacatt tggtttttca aatgactgtt gtaccttccg 240 aaatacttcc tccagatgaa agcaccacga atacttttgg aagcacgtga tgagttgtgt 300 aatgaagaga gatcccttgt tcacgtctct ccaagacaca tgatgtgggg tcgaggagca 360 gaaagcgatg aagtccttct ccacgtggac cttgtaaatg gcgtcgtcct ctaggttgtc 420 acccacctgt gaaaggctgc tacccatctg tgaagtgctg tccattgggg ccgctggaga 480 gtcactgatc aacagttccc 500 23 1230 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(1230) 23 atg gcc gac aag gat ctg aag ggc aag agg aag cag ttc atc aac tca 48 Met Ala Asp Lys Asp Leu Lys Gly Lys Arg Lys Gln Phe Ile Asn Ser 1 5 10 15 gtc ggc atg ggg acg gtc aac ggc ttg ctg gat gaa ctc ttt gag aaa 96 Val Gly Met Gly Thr Val Asn Gly Leu Leu Asp Glu Leu Phe Glu Lys 20 25 30 aac gtg ctg aac cag gag gag atg gag aga gta aaa tgt gaa aac gct 144 Asn Val Leu Asn Gln Glu Glu Met Glu Arg Val Lys Cys Glu Asn Ala 35 40 45 acc gtt atg gac aag gcc cga gct ctg atc gac agc gtc ctg cgg aaa 192 Thr Val Met Asp Lys Ala Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Ser Val Leu Arg Lys 50 55 60 ggg cca cgg gcg tgc cag atc ttt atc tgt cac atc tgt gag gaa gac 240 Gly Pro Arg Ala Cys Gln Ile Phe Ile Cys His Ile Cys Glu Glu Asp 65 70 75 80 acc cac ctt gca gag acg ctg ggg ctc tcc tca agc cca caa tct gga 288 Thr His Leu Ala Glu Thr Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser Ser Pro Gln Ser Gly 85 90 95 aat tct cag aac acc acg gac tct gaa gta gcg ttt cct cct ctt cca 336 Asn Ser Gln Asn Thr Thr Asp Ser Glu Val Ala Phe Pro Pro Leu Pro 100 105 110 gcc agc gtg aat aac atg cct ggg ccg gct gag cca gaa gaa tct gta 384 Ala Ser Val Asn Asn Met Pro Gly Pro Ala Glu Pro Glu Glu Ser Val 115 120 125 gat gct ctc aag ctt tgt cct cgt gaa aac ttc gtg aaa ctg tgt aaa 432 Asp Ala Leu Lys Leu Cys Pro Arg Glu Asn Phe Val Lys Leu Cys Lys 130 135 140 cag agg gct gaa gag atc tac cca ata aag gag aga aag gat cgt act 480 Gln Arg Ala Glu Glu Ile Tyr Pro Ile Lys Glu Arg Lys Asp Arg Thr 145 150 155 160 cgt ctg gct ctc atc ata tgc aat acg acg ttc gat cat ctt tct ctc 528 Arg Leu Ala Leu Ile Ile Cys Asn Thr Thr Phe Asp His Leu Ser Leu 165 170 175 agg aag ggg gct gac ctt gac gtt gca ggg atg agg agg ctg ctt aca 576 Arg Lys Gly Ala Asp Leu Asp Val Ala Gly Met Arg Arg Leu Leu Thr 180 185 190 gac ctt ggc tac agt gtg cac ata aaa gag gaa ctc act gct aag gac 624 Asp Leu Gly Tyr Ser Val His Ile Lys Glu Glu Leu Thr Ala Lys Asp 195 200 205 atg gaa tca gag ctg agg gca ttt gct gcc cgt cca gag cac aag tcc 672 Met Glu Ser Glu Leu Arg Ala Phe Ala Ala Arg Pro Glu His Lys Ser 210 215 220 tcg gac agc aca ttc ctg gtg ttc atg tct cat ggc atc ctg agt gga 720 Ser Asp Ser Thr Phe Leu Val Phe Met Ser His Gly Ile Leu Ser Gly 225 230 235 240 atc tgt ggg acg aag tac agc gct gaa gga gac cca gat gta ttg gct 768 Ile Cys Gly Thr Lys Tyr Ser Ala Glu Gly Asp Pro Asp Val Leu Ala 245 250 255 tat gac acc atc ttc cag att ttc aac aac cgc aac tgc ctt agt cta 816 Tyr Asp Thr Ile Phe Gln Ile Phe Asn Asn Arg Asn Cys Leu Ser Leu 260 265 270 aag gac aag ccc aag gtc atc atc gtc cag gcc tgc aga ggt gaa aat 864 Lys Asp Lys Pro Lys Val Ile Ile Val Gln Ala Cys Arg Gly Glu Asn 275 280 285 ttg ggg gaa ctg ttg atc agt gac tct cca gcg gcc cca atg gac agc 912 Leu Gly Glu Leu Leu Ile Ser Asp Ser Pro Ala Ala Pro Met Asp Ser 290 295 300 act tca cag atg ggt agc agc ctt tca cag gtg ggt gac aac cta gag 960 Thr Ser Gln Met Gly Ser Ser Leu Ser Gln Val Gly Asp Asn Leu Glu 305 310 315 320 gac gac gcc att tac aag gtc cac gtg gag aag gac ttc atc gct ttc 1008 Asp Asp Ala Ile Tyr Lys Val His Val Glu Lys Asp Phe Ile Ala Phe 325 330 335 tgc tcc tcg acc cca cat cat gtg tct tgg aga gac gtg aac aag gga 1056 Cys Ser Ser Thr Pro His His Val Ser Trp Arg Asp Val Asn Lys Gly 340 345 350 tct ctc ttc att aca caa ctc atc acg tgc ttc caa aag tat tcg tgg 1104 Ser Leu Phe Ile Thr Gln Leu Ile Thr Cys Phe Gln Lys Tyr Ser Trp 355 360 365 tgc ttt cat ctg gag gaa gta ttt cgg aag gta caa cag tca ttt gaa 1152 Cys Phe His Leu Glu Glu Val Phe Arg Lys Val Gln Gln Ser Phe Glu 370 375 380 aaa cca aat gtt aga gcc cag atg ccc acc att gaa cga cta tcc atg 1200 Lys Pro Asn Val Arg Ala Gln Met Pro Thr Ile Glu Arg Leu Ser Met 385 390 395 400 aca aga tac ttc tat ctc ttc cct ggc aat 1230 Thr Arg Tyr Phe Tyr Leu Phe Pro Gly Asn 405 410 24 410 PRT Felis catus 24 Met Ala Asp Lys Asp Leu Lys Gly Lys Arg Lys Gln Phe Ile Asn Ser 1 5 10 15 Val Gly Met Gly Thr Val Asn Gly Leu Leu Asp Glu Leu Phe Glu Lys 20 25 30 Asn Val Leu Asn Gln Glu Glu Met Glu Arg Val Lys Cys Glu Asn Ala 35 40 45 Thr Val Met Asp Lys Ala Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Ser Val Leu Arg Lys 50 55 60 Gly Pro Arg Ala Cys Gln Ile Phe Ile Cys His Ile Cys Glu Glu Asp 65 70 75 80 Thr His Leu Ala Glu Thr Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser Ser Pro Gln Ser Gly 85 90 95 Asn Ser Gln Asn Thr Thr Asp Ser Glu Val Ala Phe Pro Pro Leu Pro 100 105 110 Ala Ser Val Asn Asn Met Pro Gly Pro Ala Glu Pro Glu Glu Ser Val 115 120 125 Asp Ala Leu Lys Leu Cys Pro Arg Glu Asn Phe Val Lys Leu Cys Lys 130 135 140 Gln Arg Ala Glu Glu Ile Tyr Pro Ile Lys Glu Arg Lys Asp Arg Thr 145 150 155 160 Arg Leu Ala Leu Ile Ile Cys Asn Thr Thr Phe Asp His Leu Ser Leu 165 170 175 Arg Lys Gly Ala Asp Leu Asp Val Ala Gly Met Arg Arg Leu Leu Thr 180 185 190 Asp Leu Gly Tyr Ser Val His Ile Lys Glu Glu Leu Thr Ala Lys Asp 195 200 205 Met Glu Ser Glu Leu Arg Ala Phe Ala Ala Arg Pro Glu His Lys Ser 210 215 220 Ser Asp Ser Thr Phe Leu Val Phe Met Ser His Gly Ile Leu Ser Gly 225 230 235 240 Ile Cys Gly Thr Lys Tyr Ser Ala Glu Gly Asp Pro Asp Val Leu Ala 245 250 255 Tyr Asp Thr Ile Phe Gln Ile Phe Asn Asn Arg Asn Cys Leu Ser Leu 260 265 270 Lys Asp Lys Pro Lys Val Ile Ile Val Gln Ala Cys Arg Gly Glu Asn 275 280 285 Leu Gly Glu Leu Leu Ile Ser Asp Ser Pro Ala Ala Pro Met Asp Ser 290 295 300 Thr Ser Gln Met Gly Ser Ser Leu Ser Gln Val Gly Asp Asn Leu Glu 305 310 315 320 Asp Asp Ala Ile Tyr Lys Val His Val Glu Lys Asp Phe Ile Ala Phe 325 330 335 Cys Ser Ser Thr Pro His His Val Ser Trp Arg Asp Val Asn Lys Gly 340 345 350 Ser Leu Phe Ile Thr Gln Leu Ile Thr Cys Phe Gln Lys Tyr Ser Trp 355 360 365 Cys Phe His Leu Glu Glu Val Phe Arg Lys Val Gln Gln Ser Phe Glu 370 375 380 Lys Pro Asn Val Arg Ala Gln Met Pro Thr Ile Glu Arg Leu Ser Met 385 390 395 400 Thr Arg Tyr Phe Tyr Leu Phe Pro Gly Asn 405 410 25 1230 DNA Felis catus 25 attgccaggg aagagataga agtatcttgt catggatagt cgttcaatgg tgggcatctg 60 ggctctaaca tttggttttt caaatgactg ttgtaccttc cgaaatactt cctccagatg 120 aaagcaccac gaatactttt ggaagcacgt gatgagttgt gtaatgaaga gagatccctt 180 gttcacgtct ctccaagaca catgatgtgg ggtcgaggag cagaaagcga tgaagtcctt 240 ctccacgtgg accttgtaaa tggcgtcgtc ctctaggttg tcacccacct gtgaaaggct 300 gctacccatc tgtgaagtgc tgtccattgg ggccgctgga gagtcactga tcaacagttc 360 ccccaaattt tcacctctgc aggcctggac gatgatgacc ttgggcttgt cctttagact 420 aaggcagttg cggttgttga aaatctggaa gatggtgtca taagccaata catctgggtc 480 tccttcagcg ctgtacttcg tcccacagat tccactcagg atgccatgag acatgaacac 540 caggaatgtg ctgtccgagg acttgtgctc tggacgggca gcaaatgccc tcagctctga 600 ttccatgtcc ttagcagtga gttcctcttt tatgtgcaca ctgtagccaa ggtctgtaag 660 cagcctcctc atccctgcaa cgtcaaggtc agcccccttc ctgagagaaa gatgatcgaa 720 cgtcgtattg catatgatga gagccagacg agtacgatcc tttctctcct ttattgggta 780 gatctcttca gccctctgtt tacacagttt cacgaagttt tcacgaggac aaagcttgag 840 agcatctaca gattcttctg gctcagccgg cccaggcatg ttattcacgc tggctggaag 900 aggaggaaac gctacttcag agtccgtggt gttctgagaa tttccagatt gtgggcttga 960 ggagagcccc agcgtctctg caaggtgggt gtcttcctca cagatgtgac agataaagat 1020 ctggcacgcc cgtggccctt tccgcaggac gctgtcgatc agagctcggg ccttgtccat 1080 aacggtagcg ttttcacatt ttactctctc catctcctcc tggttcagca cgtttttctc 1140 aaagagttca tccagcaagc cgttgaccgt ccccatgccg actgagttga tgaactgctt 1200 cctcttgccc ttcagatcct tgtcggccat 1230 26 921 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(921) 26 ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa aac gtt tat gtt gta gag ttg gac tgg cac 48 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc acc tgc aat act cct gaa 96 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 gaa gat gac atc acc tgg acc tct gac cag agc agt gaa gtc cta ggc 144 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa gaa ttt gca gat gct ggc 192 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 cag tat acc tgt cat aaa gga ggc gag gtt ctg agc cat tcg ttc ctc 240 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu 65 70 75 80 ctg ata cac aaa aag gaa gat gga att tgg tcc act gat atc tta agg 288 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg 85 90 95 gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt cta aaa tgt gag gca aag 336 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 aat tat tct gga cgt ttc acc tgc tgg tgg ctg acg gca atc agt acc 384 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 gat ttg aaa ttc act gtc aaa agc agc aga ggc tcc tct gac ccc caa 432 Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 gag gtg act tgt gga gca gcg aca ctc tca gca gag aag gtc aga gtg 480 Glu Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg gag tgt cag gag ggc agt 528 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 gcc tgc ccg gct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc att gaa gtc gtg gtg gac 576 Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 gct att cac aag ctc aag tac gaa aac tac acc agc agc ttc ttc atc 624 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 agg gac atc atc aaa ccg gac cca ccc aag aac ctg caa ctg aag cca 672 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 tta aaa aat tct cgg cat gtg gaa gtg agc tgg gaa tac cct gac acc 720 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc tta aca ttt ggc gta cag gtc 768 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val 245 250 255 cag ggc aag aac aac aga gaa aag aaa gac aga ctc tcc gtg gac aag 816 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa 864 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 gcc aga gac cgc tac tat agc tca tcc tgg agc aac tgg gca tcc gtg 912 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 tcc tgc agt 921 Ser Cys Ser 305 27 307 PRT Felis catus 27 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu 65 70 75 80 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg 85 90 95 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 Glu Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val 245 250 255 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 Ser Cys Ser 305 28 921 DNA Felis catus 28 actgcaggac acggatgccc agttgctcca ggatgagcta tagtagcggt ctctggcttg 60 cacgcggatc ttggcatcct tgtggcacac gaccttggct gaggtcttgt ccacggagag 120 tctgtctttc ttttctctgt tgttcttgcc ctggacctgt acgccaaatg ttaaggagaa 180 gtaggaatgt ggggtgctcc aggtgtcagg gtattcccag ctcacttcca catgccgaga 240 attttttaat ggcttcagtt gcaggttctt gggtgggtcc ggtttgatga tgtccctgat 300 gaagaagctg ctggtgtagt tttcgtactt gagcttgtga atagcgtcca ccacgacttc 360 aatgggtagg ctctcctcgg cagccgggca ggcactgccc tcctgacact ccactgtgta 420 cttcttataa tccctgttgt ccactctgac cttctctgct gagagtgtcg ctgctccaca 480 agtcacctct tgggggtcag aggagcctct gctgcttttg acagtgaatt tcaaatcggt 540 actgattgcc gtcagccacc agcaggtgaa acgtccagaa taattctttg cctcacattt 600 tagaaagatc ttatttttgg attctttctg ttcccttaag atatcagtgg accaaattcc 660 atcttccttt ttgtgtatca ggaggaacga atggctcaga acctcgcctc ctttatgaca 720 ggtatactgg ccagcatctg caaattcttt gacttggatg gtcagagttt taccagagcc 780 taggacttca ctgctctggt cagaggtcca ggtgatgtca tcttcttcag gagtattgca 840 ggtgaggacc accatttctc cgggggcatc agggtgccag tccaactcta caacataaac 900 gtttttctcc agttcccata t 921 29 987 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(987) 29 atg cat cct cag cag ttg gtc atc gcc tgg ttt tcc ctg gtt ttg ctg 48 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ala Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 gca cct ccc ctc atg gcc ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa aac gtt tat gtt 96 Ala Pro Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 gta gag ttg gac tgg cac cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc 144 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 acc tgc aat act cct gaa gaa gat gac atc acc tgg acc tct gac cag 192 Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln 50 55 60 agc agt gaa gtc cta ggc tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa 240 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 gaa ttt gca gat gct ggc cag tat acc tgt cat aaa gga ggc gag gtt 288 Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val 85 90 95 ctg agc cat tcg ttc ctc ctg ata cac aaa aag gaa gat gga att tgg 336 Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 tcc act gat atc tta agg gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt 384 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 cta aaa tgt gag gca aag aat tat tct gga cgt ttc acc tgc tgg tgg 432 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 ctg acg gca atc agt acc gat ttg aaa ttc act gtc aaa agc agc aga 480 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 ggc tcc tct gac ccc caa ggg gtg act tgt gga gca gcg aca ctc tca 528 Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 gca gag aag gtc aga gtg gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg 576 Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 gag tgt cag gag ggc agt gcc tgc ccg gct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc 624 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 att gaa gtc gtg gtg gac gct att cac aag ctc aag tac gaa aac tac 672 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 acc agc agc ttc ttc atc agg gac atc atc aaa ccg gac cca ccc aag 720 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys 225 230 235 240 aac ctg caa ctg aag cca tta aaa aat tct cgg cat gtg gaa gtg agc 768 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 tgg gaa tac cct gac acc tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc tta 816 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 aca ttt ggc gta cag gtc cag ggc aag aac aac aga gaa aag aaa gac 864 Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 aga ctc tcc gtg gac aag acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat 912 Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa gcc aga gac cgc tac tat agc tca tcc tgg 960 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 agc aac tgg gca tcc gtg tcc tgc agt 987 Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser 325 30 329 PRT Felis catus 30 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ala Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Pro Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln 50 55 60 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val 85 90 95 Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys 225 230 235 240 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser 325 31 987 DNA Felis catus 31 actgcaggac acggatgccc agttgctcca ggatgagcta tagtagcggt ctctggcttg 60 cacgcggatc ttggcatcct tgtggcacac gaccttggct gaggtcttgt ccacggagag 120 tctgtctttc ttttctctgt tgttcttgcc ctggacctgt acgccaaatg ttaaggagaa 180 gtaggaatgt ggggtgctcc aggtgtcagg gtattcccag ctcacttcca catgccgaga 240 attttttaat ggcttcagtt gcaggttctt gggtgggtcc ggtttgatga tgtccctgat 300 gaagaagctg ctggtgtagt tttcgtactt gagcttgtga atagcgtcca ccacgacttc 360 aatgggtagg ctctcctcgg cagccgggca ggcactgccc tcctgacact ccactgtgta 420 cttcttataa tccctgttgt ccactctgac cttctctgct gagagtgtcg ctgctccaca 480 agtcacccct tgggggtcag aggagcctct gctgcttttg acagtgaatt tcaaatcggt 540 actgattgcc gtcagccacc agcaggtgaa acgtccagaa taattctttg cctcacattt 600 tagaaagatc ttatttttgg attctttctg ttcccttaag atatcagtgg accaaattcc 660 atcttccttt ttgtgtatca ggaggaacga atggctcaga acctcgcctc ctttatgaca 720 ggtatactgg ccagcatctg caaattcttt gacttggatg gtcagagttt taccagagcc 780 taggacttca ctgctctggt cagaggtcca ggtgatgtca tcttcttcag gagtattgca 840 ggtgaggacc accatttctc cgggggcatc agggtgccag tccaactcta caacataaac 900 gtttttctcc agttcccata tggccatgag gggaggtgcc agcaaaacca gggaaaacca 960 ggcgatgacc aactgctgag gatgcat 987 32 666 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(666) 32 atg tgc ccg ccg cgt ggc ctc ctc ctt gta acc atc ctg gtc ctg tta 48 Met Cys Pro Pro Arg Gly Leu Leu Leu Val Thr Ile Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 aac cac ctg gac cac ctc agt ttg gcc agg aac ctc ccc aca ccc aca 96 Asn His Leu Asp His Leu Ser Leu Ala Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr 20 25 30 cca agc cca gga atg ttc cag tgc ctc aac cac tcc caa acc ctg ctg 144 Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu 35 40 45 cga gcc atc agc aac acg ctt cag aag gcc aga caa act cta gaa ttt 192 Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe 50 55 60 tac tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat cat gaa gat atc aca aaa gat 240 Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat 288 Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn 85 90 95 gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc tct ctg ata act aat ggg agt 336 Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser 100 105 110 tgc ctg gcc tcc aga aag acc tct ttt atg acg acc ctg tgc ctt agc 384 Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser 115 120 125 agt atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac cag gtg gag ttc aag gcc atg 432 Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met 130 135 140 aat gca aag ctg tta atg gat cct aaa agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa 480 Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln 145 150 155 160 aac atg ctg aca gct att gat gag ctg tta cag gcc ctg aat gtc aac 528 Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn 165 170 175 agt gtg act gtg cca cag aac tcc tcc ctg gaa gaa ccg gat ttt tat 576 Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr 180 185 190 aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt 624 Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg 195 200 205 gca gtg acc atc aat aga atg atg agc tat ctg aat gct tcc 666 Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 210 215 220 33 222 PRT Felis catus 33 Met Cys Pro Pro Arg Gly Leu Leu Leu Val Thr Ile Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Asn His Leu Asp His Leu Ser Leu Ala Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr 20 25 30 Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu 35 40 45 Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe 50 55 60 Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn 85 90 95 Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser 100 105 110 Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser 115 120 125 Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met 130 135 140 Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln 145 150 155 160 Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn 165 170 175 Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr 180 185 190 Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg 195 200 205 Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 210 215 220 34 666 DNA Felis catus 34 ggaagcattc agatagctca tcattctatt gatggtcact gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggttcttcca gggaggagtt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgacattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcaa tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctttt aggatccatt aacagctttg cattcatggc 240 cttgaactcc acctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagata ctgctaaggc acagggtcgt 300 cataaaagag gtctttctgg aggccaggca actcccatta gttatcagag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatct tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg agtaaaattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgatggct cgcagcaggg tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaacattc ctgggcttgg tgtgggtgtg gggaggttcc tggccaaact 600 gaggtggtcc aggtggttta acaggaccag gatggttaca aggaggaggc cacgcggcgg 660 gcacat 666 35 591 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(591) 35 agg aac ctc ccc aca ccc aca cca agc cca gga atg ttc cag tgc ctc 48 Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu 1 5 10 15 aac cac tcc caa acc ctg ctg cga gcc atc agc aac acg ctt cag aag 96 Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 20 25 30 gcc aga caa act cta gaa ttt tac tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat 144 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 35 40 45 cat gaa gat atc aca aaa gat aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta 192 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 50 55 60 cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc 240 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 65 70 75 80 tct ctg ata act aat ggg agt tgc ctg gcc tcc aga aag acc tct ttt 288 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe 85 90 95 atg acg acc ctg tgc ctt agc agt atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac 336 Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 100 105 110 cag gtg gag ttc aag gcc atg aat gca aag ctg tta atg gat cct aaa 384 Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 115 120 125 agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa aac atg ctg aca gct att gat gag ctg 432 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 130 135 140 tta cag gcc ctg aat gtc aac agt gtg act gtg cca cag aac tcc tcc 480 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser 145 150 155 160 ttg gaa gaa ccg gat ttt tat aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt 528 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 165 170 175 ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt gca gtg acc atc aat aga atg atg agc 576 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser 180 185 190 tat ctg aat gct tcc 591 Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 195 36 197 PRT Felis catus 36 Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu 1 5 10 15 Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 20 25 30 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 35 40 45 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 50 55 60 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 65 70 75 80 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe 85 90 95 Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 100 105 110 Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 115 120 125 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 130 135 140 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser 145 150 155 160 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 165 170 175 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser 180 185 190 Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 195 37 591 DNA Felis catus 37 ggaagcattc agatagctca tcattctatt gatggtcact gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggttcttcca aggaggagtt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgacattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcaa tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctttt aggatccatt aacagctttg cattcatggc 240 cttgaactcc acctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagata ctgctaaggc acagggtcgt 300 cataaaagag gtctttctgg aggccaggca actcccatta gttatcagag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatct tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg agtaaaattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgatggct cgcagcaggg tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaacattc ctgggcttgg tgtgggtgtg gggaggttcc t 591 38 1599 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(1599) 38 atg cat cct cag cag ttg gtc atc gcc tgg ctt tcc ctg gtt ttg ctg 48 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ala Trp Leu Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 gca cct ccc ctc atg gcc ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa aac gtt tat gtt 96 Ala Pro Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 gta gag ttg gac tgg cac cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc 144 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 acc tgc aat act cct gaa gaa gat gac atc acc tgg acc tct gac cag 192 Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln 50 55 60 agc agt gaa gtc cta ggc tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa 240 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 gaa ttt gca gat gct ggc cag tat acc tgt cat aaa gga ggc gag gtt 288 Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val 85 90 95 ctg agc cat tcg ttc ctc ctg ata cac aaa aag gaa gat gga att tgg 336 Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 tcc act gat atc tta agg gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt 384 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 cta aaa tgt gag gca aag aat tat tct gga cgt ttc acc tgc tgg tgg 432 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 ctg acg gca atc agt acc gat ttg aaa ttc act gtc aaa agc agc aga 480 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 ggc tcc tct gac ccc caa gag gtg act tgt gga gca gcg aca ctc tca 528 Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln Glu Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 gca gag aag gtc aga gtg gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg 576 Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 gag tgt cag gag ggc agt gcc tgc ccg gct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc 624 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 att gaa gtc gtg gtg gac gct att cac aag ctc aag tac gaa aac tac 672 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 acc agc agc ttc ttc atc agg gac atc atc aaa ccg gac cca ccc aag 720 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys 225 230 235 240 aac ctg caa ctg aag cca tta aaa aat tct cgg cat gtg gaa gtg agc 768 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 tgg gaa tac cct gac acc tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc tta 816 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 aca ttt ggc gta cag gtc cag ggc aag aac aac aga gaa aag aaa gac 864 Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 aga ctc tcc gtg gac aag acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat 912 Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa gcc aga gac cgc tac tat agc tca tcc tgg 960 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 agc aac tgg gca tcc gtg tcc tgc agt ggt ggc ggt ggc ggc gga tct 1008 Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser 325 330 335 aga aac ttg cca acc cct act cca tcc ccg ggg atg ttc cag tgc ctc 1056 Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu 340 345 350 aac cac tcc caa acc ctg ctg cga gcc atc agc aac acg ctt cag aag 1104 Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 355 360 365 gcc aga caa act cta gaa ttt tac tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat 1152 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 370 375 380 cat gaa gat atc aca aaa gat aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta 1200 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 385 390 395 400 cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc 1248 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 405 410 415 tct ctg ata act aat ggg agt tgc ctg gcc tcc aga aag acc tct ttt 1296 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe 420 425 430 atg acg acc ctg tgc ctt agc agt atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac 1344 Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 435 440 445 cag gtg gag ttc aag gcc atg aat gca aag ctg tta atg gat cct aaa 1392 Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 450 455 460 agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa aac atg ctg aca gct att gat gag ctg 1440 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 465 470 475 480 tta cag gcc ctg aat gtc aac agt gtg act gtg cca cag aac tcc tcc 1488 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser 485 490 495 ttg gaa gaa ccg gat ttt tat aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt 1536 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 500 505 510 ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt gca gtg acc atc aat aga atg atg agc 1584 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser 515 520 525 tat ctg aat gct tcc 1599 Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 530 39 533 PRT Felis catus 39 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ala Trp Leu Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Pro Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln 50 55 60 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val 85 90 95 Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln Glu Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys 225 230 235 240 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser 325 330 335 Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu 340 345 350 Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 355 360 365 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 370 375 380 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 385 390 395 400 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 405 410 415 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe 420 425 430 Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 435 440 445 Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 450 455 460 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 465 470 475 480 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser 485 490 495 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 500 505 510 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser 515 520 525 Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 530 40 1599 DNA Felis catus 40 ggaagcattc agatagctca tcattctatt gatggtcact gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggttcttcca aggaggagtt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgacattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcaa tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctttt aggatccatt aacagctttg cattcatggc 240 cttgaactcc acctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagata ctgctaaggc acagggtcgt 300 cataaaagag gtctttctgg aggccaggca actcccatta gttatcagag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatct tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg agtaaaattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgatggct cgcagcaggg tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaacatcc ccggggatgg agtaggggtt ggcaagtttc tagatccgcc 600 gccaccgcca ccactgcagg acacggatgc ccagttgctc caggatgagc tatagtagcg 660 gtctctggct tgcacgcgga tcttggcatc cttgtggcac acgaccttgg ctgaggtctt 720 gtccacggag agtctgtctt tcttttctct gttgttcttg ccctggacct gtacgccaaa 780 tgttaaggag aagtaggaat gtggggtgct ccaggtgtca gggtattccc agctcacttc 840 cacatgccga gaatttttta atggcttcag ttgcaggttc ttgggtgggt ccggtttgat 900 gatgtccctg atgaagaagc tgctggtgta gttttcgtac ttgagcttgt gaatagcgtc 960 caccacgact tcaatgggta ggctctcctc ggcagccggg caggcactgc cctcctgaca 1020 ctccactgtg tacttcttat aatccctgtt gtccactctg accttctctg ctgagagtgt 1080 cgctgctcca caagtcacct cttgggggtc agaggagcct ctgctgcttt tgacagtgaa 1140 tttcaaatcg gtactgattg ccgtcagcca ccagcaggtg aaacgtccag aataattctt 1200 tgcctcacat tttagaaaga tcttattttt ggattctttc tgttccctta agatatcagt 1260 ggaccaaatt ccatcttcct ttttgtgtat caggaggaac gaatggctca gaacctcgcc 1320 tcctttatga caggtatact ggccagcatc tgcaaattct ttgacttgga tggtcagagt 1380 tttaccagag cctaggactt cactgctctg gtcagaggtc caggtgatgt catcttcttc 1440 aggagtattg caggtgagga ccaccatttc tccgggggca tcagggtgcc agtccaactc 1500 tacaacataa acgtttttct ccagttccca tatggccatg aggggaggtg ccagcaaaac 1560 cagggaaagc caggcgatga ccaactgctg aggatgcat 1599 41 576 DNA Felis catus 41 aattcttgtt ttgaacagtg aacattatgg acttatcccc attttcatcc ttttttttca 60 aaatgagttt gaaaagatct ttctcttttt cacaagctag aaagtacccc ttgtacaatg 120 aagactcaaa ttgtatctta tcatcatgtc ctggaacact tctctgaaag aatatgatgt 180 catttccttc atcattgata ctctcaggag gactcatttc cttaaaggaa ataattttgt 240 tctcacagga gagagtagac atggtcttat aattcacaga gatggttact gccagacctc 300 tagtgaggct atctttatac atatatatga taaattcagt ccggggtgca ttatctgtac 360 agtcagaatc aggcatatcc tcaaacacag gttgatctcc ctggttaatg aagagaactt 420 ggtcgttcaa gtttcgtaag attgagagtt tatgttcaag cttgccaaag taatctgttt 480 ccaggttttc atcactgtca gctacaaagt aaagtgtatt gtcaataaat ttcattccca 540 caaagttgat gcaatcatct actggtatag cagtca 576 42 42 000 43 1533 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(1533) 43 ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa aac gtt tat gtt gta gag ttg gac tgg cac 48 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc acc tgc aat act cct gaa 96 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 gaa gat gac atc acc tgg acc tct gac cag agc agt gaa gtc cta ggc 144 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa gaa ttt gca gat gct ggc 192 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 cag tat acc tgt cat aaa gga ggc gag gtt ctg agc cat tcg ttc ctc 240 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu 65 70 75 80 ctg ata cac aaa aag gaa gat gga att tgg tcc act gat atc tta agg 288 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg 85 90 95 gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt cta aaa tgt gag gca aag 336 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 aat tat tct gga cgt ttc acc tgc tgg tgg ctg acg gca atc agt acc 384 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 gat ttg aaa ttc act gtc aaa agc agc aga ggc tcc tct gac ccc caa 432 Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 gag gtg act tgt gga gca gcg aca ctc tca gca gag aag gtc aga gtg 480 Glu Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg gag tgt cag gag ggc agt 528 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 gcc tgc ccg gct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc att gaa gtc gtg gtg gac 576 Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 gct att cac aag ctc aag tac gaa aac tac acc agc agc ttc ttc atc 624 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 agg gac atc atc aaa ccg gac cca ccc aag aac ctg caa ctg aag cca 672 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 tta aaa aat tct cgg cat gtg gaa gtg agc tgg gaa tac cct gac acc 720 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc tta aca ttt ggc gta cag gtc 768 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val 245 250 255 cag ggc aag aac aac aga gaa aag aaa gac aga ctc tcc gtg gac aag 816 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa 864 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 gcc aga gac cgc tac tat agc tca tcc tgg agc aac tgg gca tcc gtg 912 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 tcc tgc agt ggt ggc ggt ggc ggc gga tct aga aac ttg cca acc cct 960 Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro 305 310 315 320 act cca tcc ccg ggg atg ttc cag tgc ctc aac cac tcc caa acc ctg 1008 Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu 325 330 335 ctg cga gcc atc agc aac acg ctt cag aag gcc aga caa act cta gaa 1056 Leu Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu 340 345 350 ttt tac tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat cat gaa gat atc aca aaa 1104 Phe Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys 355 360 365 gat aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta cca ctg gaa tta acc atg 1152 Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met 370 375 380 aat gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc tct ctg ata act aat ggg 1200 Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly 385 390 395 400 agt tgc ctg gcc tcc aga aag acc tct ttt atg acg acc ctg tgc ctt 1248 Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu 405 410 415 agc agt atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac cag gtg gag ttc aag gcc 1296 Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala 420 425 430 atg aat gca aag ctg tta atg gat cct aaa agg cag atc ttt ctg gat 1344 Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp 435 440 445 caa aac atg ctg aca gct att gat gag ctg tta cag gcc ctg aat gtc 1392 Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val 450 455 460 aac agt gtg act gtg cca cag aac tcc tcc ttg gaa gaa ccg gat ttt 1440 Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe 465 470 475 480 tat aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt ctt cat gct ttc aga att 1488 Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile 485 490 495 cgt gca gtg acc atc aat aga atg atg agc tat ctg aat gct tcc 1533 Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 500 505 510 44 511 PRT Felis catus 44 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu 65 70 75 80 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg 85 90 95 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 Glu Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val 245 250 255 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro 305 310 315 320 Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu 325 330 335 Leu Arg Ala Ile Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu 340 345 350 Phe Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys 355 360 365 Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met 370 375 380 Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly 385 390 395 400 Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu 405 410 415 Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala 420 425 430 Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp 435 440 445 Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val 450 455 460 Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe 465 470 475 480 Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile 485 490 495 Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 500 505 510 45 1533 DNA Felis catus 45 ggaagcattc agatagctca tcattctatt gatggtcact gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggttcttcca aggaggagtt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgacattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcaa tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctttt aggatccatt aacagctttg cattcatggc 240 cttgaactcc acctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagata ctgctaaggc acagggtcgt 300 cataaaagag gtctttctgg aggccaggca actcccatta gttatcagag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatct tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg agtaaaattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgatggct cgcagcaggg tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaacatcc ccggggatgg agtaggggtt ggcaagtttc tagatccgcc 600 gccaccgcca ccactgcagg acacggatgc ccagttgctc caggatgagc tatagtagcg 660 gtctctggct tgcacgcgga tcttggcatc cttgtggcac acgaccttgg ctgaggtctt 720 gtccacggag agtctgtctt tcttttctct gttgttcttg ccctggacct gtacgccaaa 780 tgttaaggag aagtaggaat gtggggtgct ccaggtgtca gggtattccc agctcacttc 840 cacatgccga gaatttttta atggcttcag ttgcaggttc ttgggtgggt ccggtttgat 900 gatgtccctg atgaagaagc tgctggtgta gttttcgtac ttgagcttgt gaatagcgtc 960 caccacgact tcaatgggta ggctctcctc ggcagccggg caggcactgc cctcctgaca 1020 ctccactgtg tacttcttat aatccctgtt gtccactctg accttctctg ctgagagtgt 1080 cgctgctcca caagtcacct cttgggggtc agaggagcct ctgctgcttt tgacagtgaa 1140 tttcaaatcg gtactgattg ccgtcagcca ccagcaggtg aaacgtccag aataattctt 1200 tgcctcacat tttagaaaga tcttattttt ggattctttc tgttccctta agatatcagt 1260 ggaccaaatt ccatcttcct ttttgtgtat caggaggaac gaatggctca gaacctcgcc 1320 tcctttatga caggtatact ggccagcatc tgcaaattct ttgacttgga tggtcagagt 1380 tttaccagag cctaggactt cactgctctg gtcagaggtc caggtgatgt catcttcttc 1440 aggagtattg caggtgagga ccaccatttc tccgggggca tcagggtgcc agtccaactc 1500 tacaacataa acgtttttct ccagttccca tat 1533 46 666 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (1)..(666) 46 atg tgc ccg ccg cgc ggc ctc ctc ctt gtg acc atc ctg gtc ctg cta 48 Met Cys Pro Pro Arg Gly Leu Leu Leu Val Thr Ile Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 agc cac ctg gac cac ctt act tgg gcc agg agc ctc ccc aca gcc tca 96 Ser His Leu Asp His Leu Thr Trp Ala Arg Ser Leu Pro Thr Ala Ser 20 25 30 ccg agc cca gga ata ttc cag tgc ctc aac cac tcc caa aac ctg ctg 144 Pro Ser Pro Gly Ile Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Asn Leu Leu 35 40 45 aga gcc gtc agc aac acg ctt cag aag gcc aga caa act cta gaa tta 192 Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu 50 55 60 tat tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat cat gaa gat atc aca aag gat 240 Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat 288 Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn 85 90 95 gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc tct ttg ata act aac ggg agt 336 Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser 100 105 110 tgc ctg gcc tct gga aag gcc tct ttt atg acg gtc ctg tgc ctt agc 384 Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser 115 120 125 agc atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac cag atg gaa ttc aag gcc atg 432 Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met 130 135 140 aac gca aag ctt tta atg gat ccc aag agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa 480 Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln 145 150 155 160 aac atg ctg aca gct atc gat gag ctg tta cag gcc ctg aat ttc aac 528 Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn 165 170 175 agt gtg act gtg cca cag aaa tcc tcc ctt gaa gag ccg gat ttt tat 576 Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr 180 185 190 aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt 624 Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg 195 200 205 gcg gtg acc atc gat aga atg atg agt tat ctg aat tct tcc 666 Ala Val Thr Ile Asp Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 210 215 220 47 222 PRT Canis familiaris 47 Met Cys Pro Pro Arg Gly Leu Leu Leu Val Thr Ile Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ser His Leu Asp His Leu Thr Trp Ala Arg Ser Leu Pro Thr Ala Ser 20 25 30 Pro Ser Pro Gly Ile Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Asn Leu Leu 35 40 45 Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu 50 55 60 Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn 85 90 95 Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser 100 105 110 Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser 115 120 125 Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met 130 135 140 Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln 145 150 155 160 Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn 165 170 175 Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr 180 185 190 Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg 195 200 205 Ala Val Thr Ile Asp Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 210 215 220 48 666 DNA Canis familiaris 48 ggaagaattc agataactca tcattctatc gatggtcacc gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggctcttcaa gggaggattt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgaaattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcga tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctctt gggatccatt aaaagctttg cgttcatggc 240 cttgaattcc atctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagatg ctgctaaggc acaggaccgt 300 cataaaagag gcctttccag aggccaggca actcccgtta gttatcaaag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatcc tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg aatataattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgacggct ctcagcaggt tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaatattc ctgggctcgg tgaggctgtg gggaggctcc tggcccaagt 600 aaggtggtcc aggtggctta gcaggaccag gatggtcaca aggaggaggc cgcgcggcgg 660 gcacat 666 49 591 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (1)..(591) 49 agg agc ctc ccc aca gcc tca ccg agc cca gga ata ttc cag tgc ctc 48 Arg Ser Leu Pro Thr Ala Ser Pro Ser Pro Gly Ile Phe Gln Cys Leu 1 5 10 15 aac cac tcc caa aac ctg ctg aga gcc gtc agc aac acg ctt cag aag 96 Asn His Ser Gln Asn Leu Leu Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 20 25 30 gcc aga caa act cta gaa tta tat tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat 144 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 35 40 45 cat gaa gat atc aca aag gat aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta 192 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 50 55 60 cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc 240 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 65 70 75 80 tct ttg ata act aac ggg agt tgc ctg gcc tct gga aag gcc tct ttt 288 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe 85 90 95 atg acg gtc ctg tgc ctt agc agc atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac 336 Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 100 105 110 cag atg gaa ttc aag gcc atg aac gca aag ctt tta atg gat ccc aag 384 Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 115 120 125 agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa aac atg ctg aca gct atc gat gag ctg 432 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 130 135 140 tta cag gcc ctg aat ttc aac agt gtg act gtg cca cag aaa tcc tcc 480 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser 145 150 155 160 ctt gaa gag ccg gat ttt tat aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt 528 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 165 170 175 ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt gcg gtg acc atc gat aga atg atg agt 576 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asp Arg Met Met Ser 180 185 190 tat ctg aat tct tcc 591 Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 195 50 197 PRT Canis familiaris 50 Arg Ser Leu Pro Thr Ala Ser Pro Ser Pro Gly Ile Phe Gln Cys Leu 1 5 10 15 Asn His Ser Gln Asn Leu Leu Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 20 25 30 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 35 40 45 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 50 55 60 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 65 70 75 80 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe 85 90 95 Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 100 105 110 Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 115 120 125 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 130 135 140 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser 145 150 155 160 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 165 170 175 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asp Arg Met Met Ser 180 185 190 Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 195 51 591 DNA Canis familiaris 51 ggaagaattc agataactca tcattctatc gatggtcacc gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggctcttcaa gggaggattt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgaaattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcga tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctctt gggatccatt aaaagctttg cgttcatggc 240 cttgaattcc atctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagatg ctgctaaggc acaggaccgt 300 cataaaagag gcctttccag aggccaggca actcccgtta gttatcaaag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatcc tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg aatataattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgacggct ctcagcaggt tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaatattc ctgggctcgg tgaggctgtg gggaggctcc t 591 52 921 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (1)..(921) 52 ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa gat gtt tat gtt gta gag ttg gac tgg cac 48 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc acc tgc cat acc cct gaa 96 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 gaa gat gac atc act tgg acc tca gcg cag agc agt gaa gtc cta ggt 144 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa gaa ttt gga gat gct ggc 192 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 cag tat acc tgc cat aaa gga ggc aag gtt ctg agc cgc tca ctc ctg 240 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu 65 70 75 80 ttg att cac aaa aaa gaa gat gga att tgg tcc act gat atc tta aag 288 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys 85 90 95 gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt ctg aaa tgt gag gca aag 336 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 aat tat tct gga cgt ttc aca tgc tgg tgg ctg acg gca atc agt act 384 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 gat ttg aaa ttc agt gtc aaa agt agc aga ggc ttc tct gac ccc caa 432 Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 ggg gtg aca tgt gga gca gtg aca ctt tca gca gag agg gtc aga gtg 480 Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg gag tgt cag gag ggc agt 528 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 gcc tgc ccc tct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc atc gag gtc gtg gtg gat 576 Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 gct att cac aag ctc aag tat gaa aac tac acc agc agc ttc ttc atc 624 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 aga gac atc atc aaa cca gac cca ccc aca aac ctg cag ctg aag cca 672 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 ttg aaa aat tct cgg cac gtg gag gtc agc tgg gaa tac ccc gac acc 720 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc ctg aca ttt tgc ata cag gcc 768 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala 245 250 255 cag ggc aag aac aat aga gaa aag aaa gat aga ctc tgc gtg gac aag 816 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa 864 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 gcc cga gac cgc tac tat agt tca tcc tgg agc gac tgg gca tct gtg 912 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 tcc tgc agt 921 Ser Cys Ser 305 53 307 PRT Canis familiaris 53 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu 65 70 75 80 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys 85 90 95 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala 245 250 255 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 Ser Cys Ser 305 54 921 DNA Canis familiaris 54 actgcaggac acagatgccc agtcgctcca ggatgaacta tagtagcggt ctcgggcttg 60 cacgcggatc ttggcatcct tgtggcacac gaccttggct gaggtcttgt ccacgcagag 120 tctatctttc ttttctctat tgttcttgcc ctgggcctgt atgcaaaatg tcagggagaa 180 gtaggaatgt ggggtgctcc aggtgtcggg gtattcccag ctgacctcca cgtgccgaga 240 atttttcaat ggcttcagct gcaggtttgt gggtgggtct ggtttgatga tgtctctgat 300 gaagaagctg ctggtgtagt tttcatactt gagcttgtga atagcatcca ccacgacctc 360 gatgggtagg ctctcctcgg cagaggggca ggcactgccc tcctgacact ccactgtgta 420 cttcttataa tccctgttgt ccactctgac cctctctgct gaaagtgtca ctgctccaca 480 tgtcacccct tgggggtcag agaagcctct gctacttttg acactgaatt tcaaatcagt 540 actgattgcc gtcagccacc agcatgtgaa acgtccagaa taattctttg cctcacattt 600 cagaaagatc ttatttttgg attctttctg ttcctttaag atatcagtgg accaaattcc 660 atcttctttt ttgtgaatca acaggagtga gcggctcaga accttgcctc ctttatggca 720 ggtatactgg ccagcatctc caaattcttt gacttggatg gtcagagttt taccagaacc 780 taggacttca ctgctctgcg ctgaggtcca agtgatgtca tcttcttcag gggtatggca 840 ggtgaggacc accatttctc cgggggcatc agggtgccag tccaactcta caacataaac 900 atctttctcc agttcccata t 921 55 985 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(984) 55 atg cat cct cag cag ttg gtc atc gcc tgg ttt tcc ctg gtt ttg ctg 48 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ala Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 gca cct ccc ctc atg gcc ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa aac gtt tat gtt 96 Ala Pro Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 gta gag ttg gac tgg cac cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc 144 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 acc tgc aat act cct gaa gaa gat gac atc acc tgg acc tct gac cag 192 Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln 50 55 60 agc agt gaa gtc cta ggc tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa 240 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 gaa ttt gca gat gct ggc cag tat acc tgt cat aaa gga ggc gag gtt 288 Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val 85 90 95 ctg agc cat tcg ttc ctc ctg ata cac aaa aag gaa gat gga att tgg 336 Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 tcc act gat atc tta agg gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt 384 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 cta aaa tgt gag gca aag aat tat tct gga cgt ttc acc tgc tgg tgg 432 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 ctg acg gca atc agt acc gat ttg aaa ttc act gtc aaa agc agc aga 480 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 ggc tcc tct gac ccc caa ggg gtg act tgt gga gca gcg aca ctc tca 528 Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 gca gag aag gtc aga gtg gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg 576 Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 gag tgt cag gag ggc agt gcc tgc ccg gct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc 624 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 att gaa gtc gtg gtg gac gct att cac aag ctc aag tac gaa aac tac 672 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 acc agc agc ttc ttc atc agg gac atc atc aaa ccg gac cca ccc aag 720 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys 225 230 235 240 aac ctg caa ctg aag cca tta aaa aat tct cgg cat gtg gaa gtg agc 768 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 tgg gaa tac cct gac acc tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc tta 816 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 aca ttt ggc gta cag gtc cag ggc aag aac aac aga gaa aag aaa gac 864 Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 aga ctc tcc gtg gac aag acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat 912 Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa gcc aga gac cgc tac tat agc tca tcc tgg 960 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 agc aac tgg gca tcc gtg tcc tgc a 985 Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys 325 56 328 PRT Felis catus 56 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ala Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Pro Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 Thr Cys Asn Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Asp Gln 50 55 60 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Ala Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Glu Val 85 90 95 Leu Ser His Ser Phe Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Arg Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Thr Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 Gly Ser Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Ala Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 Ala Glu Lys Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Lys 225 230 235 240 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 Thr Phe Gly Val Gln Val Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 Arg Leu Ser Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ser Asn Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys 325 57 985 DNA Felis catus 57 tgcaggacac ggatgcccag ttgctccagg atgagctata gtagcggtct ctggcttgca 60 cgcggatctt ggcatccttg tggcacacga ccttggctga ggtcttgtcc acggagagtc 120 tgtctttctt ttctctgttg ttcttgccct ggacctgtac gccaaatgtt aaggagaagt 180 aggaatgtgg ggtgctccag gtgtcagggt attcccagct cacttccaca tgccgagaat 240 tttttaatgg cttcagttgc aggttcttgg gtgggtccgg tttgatgatg tccctgatga 300 agaagctgct ggtgtagttt tcgtacttga gcttgtgaat agcgtccacc acgacttcaa 360 tgggtaggct ctcctcggca gccgggcagg cactgccctc ctgacactcc actgtgtact 420 tcttataatc cctgttgtcc actctgacct tctctgctga gagtgtcgct gctccacaag 480 tcaccccttg ggggtcagag gagcctctgc tgcttttgac agtgaatttc aaatcggtac 540 tgattgccgt cagccaccag caggtgaaac gtccagaata attctttgcc tcacatttta 600 gaaagatctt atttttggat tctttctgtt cccttaagat atcagtggac caaattccat 660 cttccttttt gtgtatcagg aggaacgaat ggctcagaac ctcgcctcct ttatgacagg 720 tatactggcc agcatctgca aattctttga cttggatggt cagagtttta ccagagccta 780 ggacttcact gctctggtca gaggtccagg tgatgtcatc ttcttcagga gtattgcagg 840 tgaggaccac catttctccg ggggcatcag ggtgccagtc caactctaca acataaacgt 900 ttttctccag ttcccatatg gccatgaggg gaggtgccag caaaaccagg gaaaaccagg 960 cgatgaccaa ctgctgagga tgcat 985 58 987 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (1)..(987) 58 atg cac cct cag cag ttg gtc atc tcc tgg ttt tcc ctc gtt ttg ctg 48 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ser Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 gcg tct ccc ctc atg gcc ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa gat gtt tat gtt 96 Ala Ser Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 gta gag ttg gac tgg cac cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc 144 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 acc tgc cat acc cct gaa gaa gat gac atc act tgg acc tca gcg cag 192 Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln 50 55 60 agc agt gaa gtc cta ggt tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa 240 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 gaa ttt gga gat gct ggc cag tat acc tgc cat aaa gga ggc aag gtt 288 Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val 85 90 95 ctg agc cgc tca ctc ctg ttg att cac aaa aaa gaa gat gga att tgg 336 Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 tcc act gat atc tta aag gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt 384 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 ctg aaa tgt gag gca aag aat tat tct gga cgt ttc aca tgc tgg tgg 432 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 ctg acg gca atc agt act gat ttg aaa ttc agt gtc aaa agt agc aga 480 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 ggc ttc tct gac ccc caa ggg gtg aca tgt gga gca gtg aca ctt tca 528 Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 gca gag agg gtc aga gtg gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg 576 Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 gag tgt cag gag ggc agt gcc tgc ccc tct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc 624 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 atc gag gtc gtg gtg gat gct att cac aag ctc aag tat gaa aac tac 672 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 acc agc agc ttc ttc atc aga gac atc atc aaa cca gac cca ccc aca 720 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr 225 230 235 240 aac ctg cag ctg aag cca ttg aaa aat tct cgg cac gtg gag gtc agc 768 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 tgg gaa tac ccc gac acc tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc ctg 816 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 aca ttt tgc ata cag gcc cag ggc aag aac aat aga gaa aag aaa gat 864 Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 aga ctc tgc gtg gac aag acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat 912 Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa gcc cga gac cgc tac tat agt tca tcc tgg 960 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 agc gac tgg gca tct gtg tca tgc agt 987 Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser 325 59 329 PRT Canis familiaris 59 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ser Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Ser Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln 50 55 60 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val 85 90 95 Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr 225 230 235 240 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser 325 60 987 DNA Canis familiaris 60 actgcatgac acagatgccc agtcgctcca ggatgaacta tagtagcggt ctcgggcttg 60 cacgcggatc ttggcatcct tgtggcacac gaccttggct gaggtcttgt ccacgcagag 120 tctatctttc ttttctctat tgttcttgcc ctgggcctgt atgcaaaatg tcagggagaa 180 gtaggaatgt ggggtgctcc aggtgtcggg gtattcccag ctgacctcca cgtgccgaga 240 atttttcaat ggcttcagct gcaggtttgt gggtgggtct ggtttgatga tgtctctgat 300 gaagaagctg ctggtgtagt tttcatactt gagcttgtga atagcatcca ccacgacctc 360 gatgggtagg ctctcctcgg cagaggggca ggcactgccc tcctgacact ccactgtgta 420 cttcttataa tccctgttgt ccactctgac cctctctgct gaaagtgtca ctgctccaca 480 tgtcacccct tgggggtcag agaagcctct gctacttttg acactgaatt tcaaatcagt 540 actgattgcc gtcagccacc agcatgtgaa acgtccagaa taattctttg cctcacattt 600 cagaaagatc ttatttttgg attctttctg ttcctttaag atatcagtgg accaaattcc 660 atcttctttt ttgtgaatca acaggagtga gcggctcaga accttgcctc ctttatggca 720 ggtatactgg ccagcatctc caaattcttt gacttggatg gtcagagttt taccagaacc 780 taggacttca ctgctctgcg ctgaggtcca agtgatgtca tcttcttcag gggtatggca 840 ggtgaggacc accatttctc cgggggcatc agggtgccag tccaactcta caacataaac 900 atctttctcc agttcccata tggccatgag gggagacgcc agcaaaacga gggaaaacca 960 ggagatgacc aactgctgag ggtgcat 987 61 1599 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (1)..(1599) 61 atg cac cct cag cag ttg gtc atc tcc tgg ttt tcc ctc gtt ttg ctg 48 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ser Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 gcg tct ccc ctc atg gcc ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa gat gtt tat gtt 96 Ala Ser Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 gta gag ttg gac tgg cac cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc 144 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 acc tgc cat acc cct gaa gaa gat gac atc act tgg acc tca gcg cag 192 Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln 50 55 60 agc agt gaa gtc cta ggt tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa 240 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 gaa ttt gga gat gct ggc cag tat acc tgc cat aaa gga ggc aag gtt 288 Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val 85 90 95 ctg agc cgc tca ctc ctg ttg att cac aaa aaa gaa gat gga att tgg 336 Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 tcc act gat atc tta aag gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt 384 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 ctg aaa tgt gag gca aag aat tat tct gga cgt ttc aca tgc tgg tgg 432 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 ctg acg gca atc agt act gat ttg aaa ttc agt gtc aaa agt agc aga 480 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 ggc ttc tct gac ccc caa ggg gtg aca tgt gga gca gtg aca ctt tca 528 Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 gca gag agg gtc aga gtg gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg 576 Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 gag tgt cag gag ggc agt gcc tgc ccc tct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc 624 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 atc gag gtc gtg gtg gat gct att cac aag ctc aag tat gaa aac tac 672 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 acc agc agc ttc ttc atc aga gac atc atc aaa cca gac cca ccc aca 720 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr 225 230 235 240 aac ctg cag ctg aag cca ttg aaa aat tct cgg cac gtg gag gtc agc 768 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 tgg gaa tac ccc gac acc tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc ctg 816 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 aca ttt tgc ata cag gcc cag ggc aag aac aat aga gaa aag aaa gat 864 Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 aga ctc tgc gtg gac aag acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat 912 Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa gcc cga gac cgc tac tat agt tca tcc tgg 960 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 agc gac tgg gca tct gtg tca tgc agt ggt ggc ggt ggc ggc gga tct 1008 Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser 325 330 335 aga aac ttg cca acc cct act cca tcc ccg ggt atg ttc caa tgt ttg 1056 Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu 340 345 350 aac cac tcc caa acc ttg ttg aga gcc gtc agc aac acg ctt cag aag 1104 Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 355 360 365 gcc aga caa act cta gaa tta tat tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat 1152 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 370 375 380 cat gaa gat atc aca aag gat aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta 1200 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 385 390 395 400 cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc 1248 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 405 410 415 tct ttg ata act aac ggg agt tgc ctg gcc tct gga aag gcc tct ttt 1296 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe 420 425 430 atg acg gtc ctg tgc ctt agc agc atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac 1344 Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 435 440 445 cag atg gaa ttc aag gcc atg aac gca aag ctt tta atg gat ccc aag 1392 Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 450 455 460 agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa aac atg ctg aca gct atc gat gag ctg 1440 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 465 470 475 480 tta cag gcc ctg aat ttc aac agt gtg act gtg cca cag aaa tcc tcc 1488 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser 485 490 495 ctt gaa gag ccg gat ttt tat aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt 1536 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 500 505 510 ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt gcg gtg acc atc aat aga atg atg tcc 1584 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser 515 520 525 tac ttg aac tct tcc 1599 Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 530 62 533 PRT Canis familiaris 62 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ser Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Ser Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln 50 55 60 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val 85 90 95 Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr 225 230 235 240 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser 325 330 335 Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu 340 345 350 Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys 355 360 365 Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp 370 375 380 His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu 385 390 395 400 Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile 405 410 415 Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe 420 425 430 Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr 435 440 445 Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys 450 455 460 Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu 465 470 475 480 Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser 485 490 495 Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu 500 505 510 Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser 515 520 525 Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 530 63 1599 DNA Canis familiaris 63 ggaagagttc aagtaggaca tcattctatt gatggtcacc gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggctcttcaa gggaggattt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgaaattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcga tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctctt gggatccatt aaaagctttg cgttcatggc 240 cttgaattcc atctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagatg ctgctaaggc acaggaccgt 300 cataaaagag gcctttccag aggccaggca actcccgtta gttatcaaag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatcc tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg aatataattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgacggct ctcaacaagg tttgggagtg 540 gttcaaacat tggaacatac ccggggatgg agtaggggtt ggcaagtttc tagatccgcc 600 gccaccgcca ccactgcatg acacagatgc ccagtcgctc caggatgaac tatagtagcg 660 gtctcgggct tgcacgcgga tcttggcatc cttgtggcac acgaccttgg ctgaggtctt 720 gtccacgcag agtctatctt tcttttctct attgttcttg ccctgggcct gtatgcaaaa 780 tgtcagggag aagtaggaat gtggggtgct ccaggtgtcg gggtattccc agctgacctc 840 cacgtgccga gaatttttca atggcttcag ctgcaggttt gtgggtgggt ctggtttgat 900 gatgtctctg atgaagaagc tgctggtgta gttttcatac ttgagcttgt gaatagcatc 960 caccacgacc tcgatgggta ggctctcctc ggcagagggg caggcactgc cctcctgaca 1020 ctccactgtg tacttcttat aatccctgtt gtccactctg accctctctg ctgaaagtgt 1080 cactgctcca catgtcaccc cttgggggtc agagaagcct ctgctacttt tgacactgaa 1140 tttcaaatca gtactgattg ccgtcagcca ccagcatgtg aaacgtccag aataattctt 1200 tgcctcacat ttcagaaaga tcttattttt ggattctttc tgttccttta agatatcagt 1260 ggaccaaatt ccatcttctt ttttgtgaat caacaggagt gagcggctca gaaccttgcc 1320 tcctttatgg caggtatact ggccagcatc tccaaattct ttgacttgga tggtcagagt 1380 tttaccagaa cctaggactt cactgctctg cgctgaggtc caagtgatgt catcttcttc 1440 aggggtatgg caggtgagga ccaccatttc tccgggggca tcagggtgcc agtccaactc 1500 tacaacataa acatctttct ccagttccca tatggccatg aggggagacg ccagcaaaac 1560 gagggaaaac caggagatga ccaactgctg agggtgcat 1599 64 64 000 65 65 000 66 1533 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (1)..(1533) 66 ata tgg gaa ctg gag aaa gat gtt tat gtt gta gag ttg gac tgg cac 48 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 cct gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc acc tgc cat acc cct gaa 96 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 gaa gat gac atc act tgg acc tca gcg cag agc agt gaa gtc cta ggt 144 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 tct ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa gaa ttt gga gat gct ggc 192 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 cag tat acc tgc cat aaa gga ggc aag gtt ctg agc cgc tca ctc ctg 240 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu 65 70 75 80 ttg att cac aaa aaa gaa gat gga att tgg tcc act gat atc tta aag 288 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys 85 90 95 gaa cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt ctg aaa tgt gag gca aag 336 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 aat tat tct gga cgt ttc aca tgc tgg tgg ctg acg gca atc agt act 384 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 gat ttg aaa ttc agt gtc aaa agt agc aga ggc ttc tct gac ccc caa 432 Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 ggg gtg aca tgt gga gca gtg aca ctt tca gca gag agg gtc aga gtg 480 Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 gac aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg gag tgt cag gag ggc agt 528 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 gcc tgc ccc tct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc atc gag gtc gtg gtg gat 576 Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 gct att cac aag ctc aag tat gaa aac tac acc agc agc ttc ttc atc 624 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 aga gac atc atc aaa cca gac cca ccc aca aac ctg cag ctg aag cca 672 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 ttg aaa aat tct cgg cac gtg gag gtc agc tgg gaa tac ccc gac acc 720 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 tgg agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc ctg aca ttt tgc ata cag gcc 768 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala 245 250 255 cag ggc aag aac aat aga gaa aag aaa gat aga ctc tgc gtg gac aag 816 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 acc tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa 864 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 gcc cga gac cgc tac tat agt tca tcc tgg agc gac tgg gca tct gtg 912 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 tca tgc agt ggt ggc ggt ggc ggc gga tct aga aac ttg cca acc cct 960 Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro 305 310 315 320 act cca tcc ccg ggt atg ttc caa tgt ttg aac cac tcc caa acc ttg 1008 Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu 325 330 335 ttg aga gcc gtc agc aac acg ctt cag aag gcc aga caa act cta gaa 1056 Leu Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu 340 345 350 tta tat tcc tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat cat gaa gat atc aca aag 1104 Leu Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys 355 360 365 gat aaa acc agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta cca ctg gaa tta acc atg 1152 Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met 370 375 380 aat gag agt tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc tct ttg ata act aac ggg 1200 Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly 385 390 395 400 agt tgc ctg gcc tct gga aag gcc tct ttt atg acg gtc ctg tgc ctt 1248 Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu 405 410 415 agc agc atc tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac cag atg gaa ttc aag gcc 1296 Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala 420 425 430 atg aac gca aag ctt tta atg gat ccc aag agg cag atc ttt ctg gat 1344 Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp 435 440 445 caa aac atg ctg aca gct atc gat gag ctg tta cag gcc ctg aat ttc 1392 Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe 450 455 460 aac agt gtg act gtg cca cag aaa tcc tcc ctt gaa gag ccg gat ttt 1440 Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe 465 470 475 480 tat aaa act aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt ctt cat gct ttc aga att 1488 Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile 485 490 495 cgt gcg gtg acc atc aat aga atg atg tcc tac ttg aac tct tcc 1533 Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 500 505 510 67 511 PRT Canis familiaris 67 Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His 1 5 10 15 Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu 20 25 30 Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly 35 40 45 Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly 50 55 60 Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu 65 70 75 80 Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys 85 90 95 Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys 100 105 110 Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr 115 120 125 Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln 130 135 140 Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val 145 150 155 160 Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser 165 170 175 Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp 180 185 190 Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile 195 200 205 Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro 210 215 220 Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr 225 230 235 240 Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala 245 250 255 Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys 260 265 270 Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln 275 280 285 Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val 290 295 300 Ser Cys Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Arg Asn Leu Pro Thr Pro 305 310 315 320 Thr Pro Ser Pro Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu 325 330 335 Leu Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu 340 345 350 Leu Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys 355 360 365 Asp Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met 370 375 380 Asn Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly 385 390 395 400 Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu 405 410 415 Ser Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala 420 425 430 Met Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp 435 440 445 Gln Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe 450 455 460 Asn Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe 465 470 475 480 Tyr Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile 485 490 495 Arg Ala Val Thr Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 500 505 510 68 1533 DNA Canis familiaris 68 ggaagagttc aagtaggaca tcattctatt gatggtcacc gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggctcttcaa gggaggattt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgaaattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcga tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctctt gggatccatt aaaagctttg cgttcatggc 240 cttgaattcc atctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagatg ctgctaaggc acaggaccgt 300 cataaaagag gcctttccag aggccaggca actcccgtta gttatcaaag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatcc tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg aatataattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgacggct ctcaacaagg tttgggagtg 540 gttcaaacat tggaacatac ccggggatgg agtaggggtt ggcaagtttc tagatccgcc 600 gccaccgcca ccactgcatg acacagatgc ccagtcgctc caggatgaac tatagtagcg 660 gtctcgggct tgcacgcgga tcttggcatc cttgtggcac acgaccttgg ctgaggtctt 720 gtccacgcag agtctatctt tcttttctct attgttcttg ccctgggcct gtatgcaaaa 780 tgtcagggag aagtaggaat gtggggtgct ccaggtgtcg gggtattccc agctgacctc 840 cacgtgccga gaatttttca atggcttcag ctgcaggttt gtgggtgggt ctggtttgat 900 gatgtctctg atgaagaagc tgctggtgta gttttcatac ttgagcttgt gaatagcatc 960 caccacgacc tcgatgggta ggctctcctc ggcagagggg caggcactgc cctcctgaca 1020 ctccactgtg tacttcttat aatccctgtt gtccactctg accctctctg ctgaaagtgt 1080 cactgctcca catgtcaccc cttgggggtc agagaagcct ctgctacttt tgacactgaa 1140 tttcaaatca gtactgattg ccgtcagcca ccagcatgtg aaacgtccag aataattctt 1200 tgcctcacat ttcagaaaga tcttattttt ggattctttc tgttccttta agatatcagt 1260 ggaccaaatt ccatcttctt ttttgtgaat caacaggagt gagcggctca gaaccttgcc 1320 tcctttatgg caggtatact ggccagcatc tccaaattct ttgacttgga tggtcagagt 1380 tttaccagaa cctaggactt cactgctctg cgctgaggtc caagtgatgt catcttcttc 1440 aggggtatgg caggtgagga ccaccatttc tccgggggca tcagggtgcc agtccaactc 1500 tacaacataa acatctttct ccagttccca tat 1533 69 30 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 69 gccaagctcg aaattaaccc tcactaaagg 30 70 28 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 70 cgacggccag tgaattgtaa tacgactc 28 71 31 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 71 agtgatgaag gcctggaatc agattacttt g 31 72 32 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 72 atggcctgga acacttctct gaaagaatat ga 32 73 30 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 73 aactattgag cacagggata aagatgactg 30 74 33 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 74 aatatctaat tcttgttttg aacagtgaac att 33 75 36 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 75 tatgccggct actttggcaa gcttgaacat aaactc 36 76 37 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 76 ggcctcgagc taattcttgt tttgaacagt gaacatt 37 77 28 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 77 atggccgaca aggtcctgaa ggagaaga 28 78 33 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 78 ttaatgtcct gggaagaggt agaaacatct tgt 33 79 26 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 79 tcaagcccac aatctggaaa ttctca 26 80 26 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 80 ctggagagtc actgatcaac agttcc 26 81 36 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 81 acaaggatcc accatggccg acaaggatct gaaggg 36 82 39 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 82 cgcctctaga cctcaattgc cagggaagag atagaagta 39 83 60 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 83 ctgcagtggt ggcggtggcg gcggatctag aaacttgcca acccctactc catccccggg 60 84 60 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 84 cccggggatg gagtaggggt tggcaagttt ctagatccgc cgccaccgcc accactgcag 60 85 28 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 85 atgcatcctc agcagttggt catcgcct 28 86 25 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 86 tgcaggacac ggatgcccag ttgct 25 87 37 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 87 acaggtacca tgcatcctca gcagttggtc atcgcct 37 88 25 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 88 ctaactgcag gacacggatg cccag 25 89 19 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 89 atgtgcccgc cgcgtggcc 19 90 27 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 90 ctaggaagca ttcagatagc tcatcat 27 91 39 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 91 tatgacccgg ggatgttcca gtgcctcaac cactcccaa 39 92 41 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 92 atgactgcgg ccgcctagga agcattcaga tagctcatca t 41 93 20 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 93 ccatcctggt cctgctaagc 20 94 22 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 94 ccatctggta catcttcaag tc 22 95 38 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 95 aaaaaacccg ggtatgttcc aatgtttcaa ccactccc 38 96 51 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 96 gcggccgctc gagttaggaa gagttcaagt aggacatcat tctattgatg g 51 97 22 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 97 cttaaaggaa cagaaagaat cc 22 98 19 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 98 ggtattccca gctgacctc 19 99 37 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 99 cataggtacc atgcaccctc agcagttggt catctcc 37 100 29 DNA Artificial sequence Synthetic Primer 100 atctaaatgc atgacacaga tgcccagtc 29 101 561 DNA Felis catus CDS (1)..(561) 101 ggg atg ttc cag tgc ctc aac cac tcc caa acc ctg ctg cga gcc atc 48 Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Ile 1 5 10 15 agc aac acg ctt cag aag gcc aga caa act cta gaa ttt tac tcc tgc 96 Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe Tyr Ser Cys 20 25 30 act tcc gaa gag att gat cat gaa gat atc aca aaa gat aaa acc agc 144 Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser 35 40 45 aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat gag agt tgc 192 Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys 50 55 60 ctg gct tcc aga gag atc tct ctg ata act aat ggg agt tgc ctg gcc 240 Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala 65 70 75 80 tcc aga aag acc tct ttt atg acg acc ctg tgc ctt agc agt atc tat 288 Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr 85 90 95 gag gac ttg aag atg tac cag gtg gag ttc aag gcc atg aat gca aag 336 Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys 100 105 110 ctg tta atg gat cct aaa agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa aac atg ctg 384 Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu 115 120 125 aca gct att gat gag ctg tta cag gcc ctg aat gtc aac agt gtg act 432 Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn Ser Val Thr 130 135 140 gtg cca cag aac tcc tcc ctg gaa gaa ccg gat ttt tat aaa act aaa 480 Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys 145 150 155 160 atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt gca gtg acc 528 Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr 165 170 175 atc aat aga atg atg agc tat ctg aat gct tcc 561 Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 180 185 102 187 PRT Felis catus 102 Gly Met Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Thr Leu Leu Arg Ala Ile 1 5 10 15 Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Phe Tyr Ser Cys 20 25 30 Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr Ser 35 40 45 Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser Cys 50 55 60 Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu Ala 65 70 75 80 Ser Arg Lys Thr Ser Phe Met Thr Thr Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile Tyr 85 90 95 Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Val Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala Lys 100 105 110 Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met Leu 115 120 125 Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Val Asn Ser Val Thr 130 135 140 Val Pro Gln Asn Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr Lys 145 150 155 160 Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val Thr 165 170 175 Ile Asn Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ala Ser 180 185 103 561 DNA Felis catus 103 ggaagcattc agatagctca tcattctatt gatggtcact gcacgaattc tgaaagcatg 60 aagaagtatg cagagcttga ttttagtttt ataaaaatcc ggttcttcca gggaggagtt 120 ctgtggcaca gtcacactgt tgacattcag ggcctgtaac agctcatcaa tagctgtcag 180 catgttttga tccagaaaga tctgcctttt aggatccatt aacagctttg cattcatggc 240 cttgaactcc acctggtaca tcttcaagtc ctcatagata ctgctaaggc acagggtcgt 300 cataaaagag gtctttctgg aggccaggca actcccatta gttatcagag agatctctct 360 ggaagccagg caactctcat tcatggttaa ttccagtggt aagcaggcct ccactgtgct 420 ggttttatct tttgtgatat cttcatgatc aatctcttcg gaagtgcagg agtaaaattc 480 tagagtttgt ctggccttct gaagcgtgtt gctgatggct cgcagcaggg tttgggagtg 540 gttgaggcac tggaacatcc c 561 104 1455 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (232)..(897) 104 ggcacgaggc aaaccccgcg ggcccagctc cacgtgtcac cgagaagctg atgtagagag 60 agacagagag agaaagcaag ccggacaccg gagtcccggg aaagtcctgg cgcgcctcgg 120 gccaattata aaaatgtgac cccccgggtc ggcctcccac cgccgccctc ccctgccgcg 180 tccgcagtcc gcgtccagcg cccgccgggg tccacgcagc gcccgcccag c atg tgc 237 Met Cys 1 ccg ccg cgc ggc ctc ctc ctt gtg acc atc ctg gtc ctg cta agc cac 285 Pro Pro Arg Gly Leu Leu Leu Val Thr Ile Leu Val Leu Leu Ser His 5 10 15 ctg gac cac ctt act tgg gcc agg agc ctc ccc aca gcc tca ccg agc 333 Leu Asp His Leu Thr Trp Ala Arg Ser Leu Pro Thr Ala Ser Pro Ser 20 25 30 cca gga ata ttc cag tgc ctc aac cac tcc caa aac ctg ctg aga gcc 381 Pro Gly Ile Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Asn Leu Leu Arg Ala 35 40 45 50 gtc agc aac acg ctt cag aag gcc aga caa act cta gaa tta tat tcc 429 Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu Tyr Ser 55 60 65 tgc act tcc gaa gag att gat cat gaa gat atc aca aag gat aaa acc 477 Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp Lys Thr 70 75 80 agc aca gtg gag gcc tgc tta cca ctg gaa tta acc atg aat gag agt 525 Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn Glu Ser 85 90 95 tgc ctg gct tcc aga gag atc tct ttg ata act aac ggg agt tgc ctg 573 Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser Cys Leu 100 105 110 gcc tct gga aag gcc tct ttt atg acg gtc ctg tgc ctt agc agc atc 621 Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser Ser Ile 115 120 125 130 tat gag gac ttg aag atg tac cag atg gaa ttc aag gcc atg aac gca 669 Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met Asn Ala 135 140 145 aag ctt tta atg gat ccc aag agg cag atc ttt ctg gat caa aac atg 717 Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln Asn Met 150 155 160 ctg aca gct atc gat gag ctg tta cag gcc ctg aat ttc aac agt gtg 765 Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn Ser Val 165 170 175 act gtg cca cag aaa tcc tcc ctt gaa gag ccg gat ttt tat aaa act 813 Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr Lys Thr 180 185 190 aaa atc aag ctc tgc ata ctt ctt cat gct ttc aga att cgt gcg gtg 861 Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg Ala Val 195 200 205 210 acc atc gat aga atg atg agt tat ctg aat tct tcc taaaaagctg 907 Thr Ile Asp Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 215 220 aggtctctct cgactttaaa gtcattccta taaaaatgtg aacccaaaag aatttttcat 967 aagatagggg ttaagaacca gggagggggt ggcttgacct ggtcctactt aagctagtac 1027 gataattctc atgcttgttt acattagttg ccactcaaat tttgaaagat gtgactgtta 1087 tatcccacac gatgcctttg accaagtata tttcacattt actatggata agttaagtgt 1147 tcgtgagcaa attgctaaag aggaaaaatg tcctcaccga acatgttttt attttccctt 1207 taatagaaga gcaagacttt ataagctatt tctgtaccaa actgtttgta gaaacaaaca 1267 ctcaagcata atttatttaa aaatacttat ttatataatt ttgtgttcat gaaagcatgt 1327 gaattaattt atatttattt atgttatatt tattaaagta tttattatca agtggatttg 1387 ggatatctta tgttctaaaa ataaaatgat tgagtagaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa 1447 aaaaaaaa 1455 105 222 PRT Canis familiaris 105 Met Cys Pro Pro Arg Gly Leu Leu Leu Val Thr Ile Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ser His Leu Asp His Leu Thr Trp Ala Arg Ser Leu Pro Thr Ala Ser 20 25 30 Pro Ser Pro Gly Ile Phe Gln Cys Leu Asn His Ser Gln Asn Leu Leu 35 40 45 Arg Ala Val Ser Asn Thr Leu Gln Lys Ala Arg Gln Thr Leu Glu Leu 50 55 60 Tyr Ser Cys Thr Ser Glu Glu Ile Asp His Glu Asp Ile Thr Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Lys Thr Ser Thr Val Glu Ala Cys Leu Pro Leu Glu Leu Thr Met Asn 85 90 95 Glu Ser Cys Leu Ala Ser Arg Glu Ile Ser Leu Ile Thr Asn Gly Ser 100 105 110 Cys Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Ala Ser Phe Met Thr Val Leu Cys Leu Ser 115 120 125 Ser Ile Tyr Glu Asp Leu Lys Met Tyr Gln Met Glu Phe Lys Ala Met 130 135 140 Asn Ala Lys Leu Leu Met Asp Pro Lys Arg Gln Ile Phe Leu Asp Gln 145 150 155 160 Asn Met Leu Thr Ala Ile Asp Glu Leu Leu Gln Ala Leu Asn Phe Asn 165 170 175 Ser Val Thr Val Pro Gln Lys Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Pro Asp Phe Tyr 180 185 190 Lys Thr Lys Ile Lys Leu Cys Ile Leu Leu His Ala Phe Arg Ile Arg 195 200 205 Ala Val Thr Ile Asp Arg Met Met Ser Tyr Leu Asn Ser Ser 210 215 220 106 1455 DNA Canis familiaris 106 tttttttttt tttttttttt tttttttttt tctactcaat cattttattt ttagaacata 60 agatatccca aatccacttg ataataaata ctttaataaa tataacataa ataaatataa 120 attaattcac atgctttcat gaacacaaaa ttatataaat aagtattttt aaataaatta 180 tgcttgagtg tttgtttcta caaacagttt ggtacagaaa tagcttataa agtcttgctc 240 ttctattaaa gggaaaataa aaacatgttc ggtgaggaca tttttcctct ttagcaattt 300 gctcacgaac acttaactta tccatagtaa atgtgaaata tacttggtca aaggcatcgt 360 gtgggatata acagtcacat ctttcaaaat ttgagtggca actaatgtaa acaagcatga 420 gaattatcgt actagcttaa gtaggaccag gtcaagccac cccctccctg gttcttaacc 480 cctatcttat gaaaaattct tttgggttca catttttata ggaatgactt taaagtcgag 540 agagacctca gctttttagg aagaattcag ataactcatc attctatcga tggtcaccgc 600 acgaattctg aaagcatgaa gaagtatgca gagcttgatt ttagttttat aaaaatccgg 660 ctcttcaagg gaggatttct gtggcacagt cacactgttg aaattcaggg cctgtaacag 720 ctcatcgata gctgtcagca tgttttgatc cagaaagatc tgcctcttgg gatccattaa 780 aagctttgcg ttcatggcct tgaattccat ctggtacatc ttcaagtcct catagatgct 840 gctaaggcac aggaccgtca taaaagaggc ctttccagag gccaggcaac tcccgttagt 900 tatcaaagag atctctctgg aagccaggca actctcattc atggttaatt ccagtggtaa 960 gcaggcctcc actgtgctgg ttttatcctt tgtgatatct tcatgatcaa tctcttcgga 1020 agtgcaggaa tataattcta gagtttgtct ggccttctga agcgtgttgc tgacggctct 1080 cagcaggttt tgggagtggt tgaggcactg gaatattcct gggctcggtg aggctgtggg 1140 gaggctcctg gcccaagtaa ggtggtccag gtggcttagc aggaccagga tggtcacaag 1200 gaggaggccg cgcggcgggc acatgctggg cgggcgctgc gtggaccccg gcgggcgctg 1260 gacgcggact gcggacgcgg caggggaggg cggcggtggg aggccgaccc ggggggtcac 1320 atttttataa ttggcccgag gcgcgccagg actttcccgg gactccggtg tccggcttgc 1380 tttctctctc tgtctctctc tacatcagct tctcggtgac acgtggagct gggcccgcgg 1440 ggtttgcctc gtgcc 1455 107 2267 DNA Canis familiaris CDS (154)..(1140) 107 ggcacgaggc aacttggaca agtcagtttc tagtttaagt ttccatccaa aagctcggta 60 ggagtagggt atataagctc cagtagcagt agcagcagca gcaggagact ccgtttcaga 120 cccagggaac cttgcagcct ggccagaagc aag atg cat cct cag cag ttg gtc 174 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val 1 5 atc tcc tgg ttt tcc ctc gtt ttg ctg gcg tct ccc ctc atg gcc ata 222 Ile Ser Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Pro Leu Met Ala Ile 10 15 20 tgg gaa ctg gag aaa gat gtt tat gtt gta gag ttg gac tgg cac cct 270 Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro 25 30 35 gat gcc ccc gga gaa atg gtg gtc ctc acc tgc cat acc cct gaa gaa 318 Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu Glu 40 45 50 55 gat gac atc act tgg acc tca gcg cag agc agt gaa gtc cta ggt tct 366 Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser 60 65 70 ggt aaa act ctg acc atc caa gtc aaa gaa ttt gga gat gct ggc cag 414 Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly Gln 75 80 85 tat acc tgc cat aaa gga ggc aag gtt ctg agc cgc tca ctc ctg ttg 462 Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu Leu 90 95 100 att cac aaa aaa gaa gat gga att tgg tcc act gat atc tta aag gaa 510 Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys Glu 105 110 115 cag aaa gaa tcc aaa aat aag atc ttt ctg aaa tgt gag gca aag aat 558 Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn 120 125 130 135 tat tct gga cgt ttc aca tgc tgg tgg ctg acg gca atc agt act gat 606 Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp 140 145 150 ttg aaa ttc agt gtc aaa agt agc aga ggc ttc tct gac ccc caa ggg 654 Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly 155 160 165 gtg aca tgt gga gca gtg aca ctt tca gca gag agg gtc aga gtg gac 702 Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val Asp 170 175 180 aac agg gat tat aag aag tac aca gtg gag tgt cag gag ggc agt gcc 750 Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala 185 190 195 tgc ccc tct gcc gag gag agc cta ccc atc gag gtc gtg gtg gat gct 798 Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala 200 205 210 215 att cac aag ctc aag tat gaa aac tac acc agc agc ttc ttc atc aga 846 Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg 220 225 230 gac atc atc aaa cca gac cca ccc aca aac ctg cag ctg aag cca ttg 894 Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu 235 240 245 aaa aat tct cgg cac gtg gag gtc agc tgg gaa tac ccc gac acc tgg 942 Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp 250 255 260 agc acc cca cat tcc tac ttc tcc ctg aca ttt tgc ata cag gcc cag 990 Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala Gln 265 270 275 ggc aag aac aat aga gaa aag aaa gat aga ctc tgc gtg gac aag acc 1038 Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys Thr 280 285 290 295 tca gcc aag gtc gtg tgc cac aag gat gcc aag atc cgc gtg caa gcc 1086 Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala 300 305 310 cga gac cgc tac tat agt tca tcc tgg agc gac tgg gca tct gtg tcc 1134 Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val Ser 315 320 325 tgc agt taggttccac ccccaggatg aatcttggag ggaaagtgga agatattatg 1190 Cys Ser caaaattttc taaggacaca ttgaagaggc tccaaaagtt attttctgcc taattttctt 1250 tttgtaaagg gtcattattg tgtcttcgca atatttttta catttaaatg ccaaatgccc 1310 actgaaacaa tcagctactt tatttataga ttttcagcta gcaggctgcc actgacctta 1370 atgctattta aatatttaag taatttatgt atttattaat ttattgttat tgaacacttg 1430 tgtgccaaga tatattgtat gtttcatacc ctcaggacct gatctgtaag gaataggccc 1490 tattatgcaa aatgtgaatt tatgtgttat ttatactgac aacttttcaa gcaagaatgt 1550 atcattttta tgacaaccag tgagcacaca atattatgat gccagcacca taatatattt 1610 gtgatggatg ggaacacaga ggtagttaaa tagagacatg gagacacgaa tccatttgag 1670 aagtttctgg agacggagat gttagatcct gtatccataa agacttcctt gcggtggtgt 1730 tgataaagca attcagggcc acttgcattt ttaagcaagt ttagtttttg gatgcctgaa 1790 tttagaaaga cctgagacaa ataactcaaa ttgagattca gcttcagcca ccttgccagt 1850 ccccatcccc atctatctgt aagtcattgg agagtgaccc agggacactg taagtgtctg 1910 gaagtaaaaa ggtcttatga tccaagaggg agaaccaaca tggccaagca caaaaaattg 1970 tcagaatttc cagctgctcc ttaatagcca ggcaaaaaaa gcacatggat gcaaagaaaa 2030 tggtcaagaa ttgcttactg gacagcgcaa gtgaacctga ctggtggatg tgaccagaaa 2090 gtgccaatcg ctgaggtgct acttttaagt aatgaatgtg ctttctgtaa agtgatttca 2150 tttcttttct gtttacttat ttgtttttgc attctgacaa tgcactaata aaaatataac 2210 tcttgtttgc aataataaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa 2267 108 329 PRT Canis familiaris 108 Met His Pro Gln Gln Leu Val Ile Ser Trp Phe Ser Leu Val Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Ser Pro Leu Met Ala Ile Trp Glu Leu Glu Lys Asp Val Tyr Val 20 25 30 Val Glu Leu Asp Trp His Pro Asp Ala Pro Gly Glu Met Val Val Leu 35 40 45 Thr Cys His Thr Pro Glu Glu Asp Asp Ile Thr Trp Thr Ser Ala Gln 50 55 60 Ser Ser Glu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly Lys Thr Leu Thr Ile Gln Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Phe Gly Asp Ala Gly Gln Tyr Thr Cys His Lys Gly Gly Lys Val 85 90 95 Leu Ser Arg Ser Leu Leu Leu Ile His Lys Lys Glu Asp Gly Ile Trp 100 105 110 Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Lys Glu Gln Lys Glu Ser Lys Asn Lys Ile Phe 115 120 125 Leu Lys Cys Glu Ala Lys Asn Tyr Ser Gly Arg Phe Thr Cys Trp Trp 130 135 140 Leu Thr Ala Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Lys Phe Ser Val Lys Ser Ser Arg 145 150 155 160 Gly Phe Ser Asp Pro Gln Gly Val Thr Cys Gly Ala Val Thr Leu Ser 165 170 175 Ala Glu Arg Val Arg Val Asp Asn Arg Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Thr Val 180 185 190 Glu Cys Gln Glu Gly Ser Ala Cys Pro Ser Ala Glu Glu Ser Leu Pro 195 200 205 Ile Glu Val Val Val Asp Ala Ile His Lys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Asn Tyr 210 215 220 Thr Ser Ser Phe Phe Ile Arg Asp Ile Ile Lys Pro Asp Pro Pro Thr 225 230 235 240 Asn Leu Gln Leu Lys Pro Leu Lys Asn Ser Arg His Val Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Trp Glu Tyr Pro Asp Thr Trp Ser Thr Pro His Ser Tyr Phe Ser Leu 260 265 270 Thr Phe Cys Ile Gln Ala Gln Gly Lys Asn Asn Arg Glu Lys Lys Asp 275 280 285 Arg Leu Cys Val Asp Lys Thr Ser Ala Lys Val Val Cys His Lys Asp 290 295 300 Ala Lys Ile Arg Val Gln Ala Arg Asp Arg Tyr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ser Asp Trp Ala Ser Val Ser Cys Ser 325 109 2267 DNA Canis familiaris 109 tttttttttt tttttttttt tttttttttt tttttttttt tattattgca aacaagagtt 60 atatttttat tagtgcattg tcagaatgca aaaacaaata agtaaacaga aaagaaatga 120 aatcacttta cagaaagcac attcattact taaaagtagc acctcagcga ttggcacttt 180 ctggtcacat ccaccagtca ggttcacttg cgctgtccag taagcaattc ttgaccattt 240 tctttgcatc catgtgcttt ttttgcctgg ctattaagga gcagctggaa attctgacaa 300 ttttttgtgc ttggccatgt tggttctccc tcttggatca taagaccttt ttacttccag 360 acacttacag tgtccctggg tcactctcca atgacttaca gatagatggg gatggggact 420 ggcaaggtgg ctgaagctga atctcaattt gagttatttg tctcaggtct ttctaaattc 480 aggcatccaa aaactaaact tgcttaaaaa tgcaagtggc cctgaattgc tttatcaaca 540 ccaccgcaag gaagtcttta tggatacagg atctaacatc tccgtctcca gaaacttctc 600 aaatggattc gtgtctccat gtctctattt aactacctct gtgttcccat ccatcacaaa 660 tatattatgg tgctggcatc ataatattgt gtgctcactg gttgtcataa aaatgataca 720 ttcttgcttg aaaagttgtc agtataaata acacataaat tcacattttg cataataggg 780 cctattcctt acagatcagg tcctgagggt atgaaacata caatatatct tggcacacaa 840 gtgttcaata acaataaatt aataaataca taaattactt aaatatttaa atagcattaa 900 ggtcagtggc agcctgctag ctgaaaatct ataaataaag tagctgattg tttcagtggg 960 catttggcat ttaaatgtaa aaaatattgc gaagacacaa taatgaccct ttacaaaaag 1020 aaaattaggc agaaaataac ttttggagcc tcttcaatgt gtccttagaa aattttgcat 1080 aatatcttcc actttccctc caagattcat cctgggggtg gaacctaact gcaggacaca 1140 gatgcccagt cgctccagga tgaactatag tagcggtctc gggcttgcac gcggatcttg 1200 gcatccttgt ggcacacgac cttggctgag gtcttgtcca cgcagagtct atctttcttt 1260 tctctattgt tcttgccctg ggcctgtatg caaaatgtca gggagaagta ggaatgtggg 1320 gtgctccagg tgtcggggta ttcccagctg acctccacgt gccgagaatt tttcaatggc 1380 ttcagctgca ggtttgtggg tgggtctggt ttgatgatgt ctctgatgaa gaagctgctg 1440 gtgtagtttt catacttgag cttgtgaata gcatccacca cgacctcgat gggtaggctc 1500 tcctcggcag aggggcaggc actgccctcc tgacactcca ctgtgtactt cttataatcc 1560 ctgttgtcca ctctgaccct ctctgctgaa agtgtcactg ctccacatgt caccccttgg 1620 gggtcagaga agcctctgct acttttgaca ctgaatttca aatcagtact gattgccgtc 1680 agccaccagc atgtgaaacg tccagaataa ttctttgcct cacatttcag aaagatctta 1740 tttttggatt ctttctgttc ctttaagata tcagtggacc aaattccatc ttcttttttg 1800 tgaatcaaca ggagtgagcg gctcagaacc ttgcctcctt tatggcaggt atactggcca 1860 gcatctccaa attctttgac ttggatggtc agagttttac cagaacctag gacttcactg 1920 ctctgcgctg aggtccaagt gatgtcatct tcttcagggg tatggcaggt gaggaccacc 1980 atttctccgg gggcatcagg gtgccagtcc aactctacaa cataaacatc tttctccagt 2040 tcccatatgg ccatgagggg agacgccagc aaaacgaggg aaaaccagga gatgaccaac 2100 tgctgaggat gcatcttgct tctggccagg ctgcaaggtt ccctgggtct gaaacggagt 2160 ctcctgctgc tgctgctact gctactggag cttatatacc ctactcctac cgagcttttg 2220 gatggaaact taaactagaa actgacttgt ccaagttgcc tcgtgcc 2267 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:13; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 70 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 70 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, and SEQ ID NO:41; (b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ I) NO:25, and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 70 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 70 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ ID NO:25; (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 44 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 44 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:29; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 44 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 44 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a feline L-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (i); (d) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 47 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 47 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 47 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 47 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (i); (e) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:13; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of a nucleic acid molecule of (i) wherein said fragment is at least 80 nucleotides in length; (f) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ ID NO:25, and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of a nucleic acid molecule of (i) wherein said fragment is at least 85 nucleotides in length; (g) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:29, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 87 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:32 and SEQ ID NO:35, or a fragment thereof of at least 55 nucleotides in length, such that said nucleic acid molecule (i) encodes a feline IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (i); and (h) an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleic acid molecule comprising ((a)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:58, and a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 55 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 55 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:52 and SEQ ID NO:58; ((b)) a nucleic acid linker of (XXX)_(n) wherein n=0 to 60; and ((c)) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:49, and a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 55 contiguous nucleotides identical in sequence to at least 55 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:46 and SEQ ID NO:49, such that said nucleic acid molecule of (i) encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein; and (ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (i). (j) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) a protein selected from the group consisting of ((a)) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12, and ((b)) a protein comprising a fragment of a protein of ((a)), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length; and (ii) a protein comprising at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12; (k) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a caspase-1 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein selected from the group consisting of ((a)) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and ((b)) a protein comprising a fragment of a protein of ((a)), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length; and (ii) a protein comprising at least 25 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 25 contiguous amino acids selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24; (1) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to a IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30 and wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36; (m) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to a IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59; and wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p3⁵ subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50; and (n) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence fully complementary to the coding strand of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (j), (k), (1) or (m).
 2. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (a), (e) or (j) comprises a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a feline IL-18 protein; wherein said nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (b), (f) or (k) comprises a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a feline caspase-1 protein. wherein said nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (c), (g) or (l) comprises a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a feline IL-12 single chain protein; and wherein said nucleic acid molecule as set forth in (d), (h) or (m) comprises a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a canine IL-12 single chain protein.
 3. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (a), (e) and (j) encodes a protein having a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and (iii) exhibiting IL-18 activity; wherein said nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (b), (f) and (k) encodes a protein having a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against a caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ II) NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and (iii) exhibiting caspase-1 activity; and wherein said nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of (c), (d), (g), (h), (1) and (m) encodes a protein having a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity.
 4. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of nFeIL-18-N₅₁₄, nFeIL-18-C₅₀₂, nFeIL-18₆₀₇, nFeIL-18₅₇₆, nFeIL-18₄₇₁, nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₃, nFeCasp-1-N₅₂₆, nFeCasp-1-C₅₀₀, nFeCasp-1₁₂₃₀, nFeIL-1₁₅₉₉, nFeIL-12₁₅₃₃, nCaIL-12₁₅₉₉, and nCaIL-12₁₅₃₃.
 5. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67; and (b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having any of said amino acid sequences of (a).
 6. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:66, and SEQ ID NO:68; and (b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising an allelic variant of a nucleic acid molecule comprising any of said nucleic acid sequences of (a).
 7. A nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1(c)(i) comprising, in the following order, ((a)), ((b)), and ((c)), the nucleic acid molecule of Claim 1(d)(i) comprising, in the following order, ((a)), ((b)), and ((c)), the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1(g)(i) comprising, in the following order, ((a)), ((b)), and ((c)), and the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1(h)(i) comprising, in the following order, ((a)), ((b)), and ((c)).
 8. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 7, wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding said linker comprises SEQ ID NO:83.
 9. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 7, wherein said single chain protein comprises a p40 subunit at the N-terminus and a p35 subunit at the C-terminus.
 10. A recombinant molecule comprising a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in claim
 1. 11. A recombinant virus comprising a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in claim
 1. 12. A recombinant cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in claim
 1. 13. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of group (l) and group (m) further comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding a linker.
 14. A composition comprising an excipient and an isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim
 1. 15. A method to regulate an immune response comprising administering to an animal a composition of claim
 14. 16. A method to produce a protein comprising culturing a recombinant cell as set forth in claim
 12. 17. An isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated IL-18 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) an isolated protein of at least 25 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 25 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12; and (ii) an isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 92 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12 and a fragment thereof of at least 30 nucleotides; wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-18 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:12, and (iii) exhibiting IL-18 activity; (b) an isolated caspase-1 protein selected from the group consisting of: (i) an isolated protein of at least about 25 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 25 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 25 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24; and (ii) an isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24 and has a nucleic acid fragment thereof of at least 30 nucleotides; wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, (ii) ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against caspase-1 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, and SEQ ID NO:24, and (iii) exhibiting caspase-1 activity; (c) an isolated IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to an IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 and SEQ ID NO:30 and wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 30 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 23 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 23 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:36; wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity; and (d) an isolated IL-12 single chain protein comprising an IL-12 p40 subunit domain linked to an IL-12 p35 subunit domain, wherein said p40 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p40 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59, (ii) a p40 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p40 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:59; wherein said p35 subunit domain is selected from the group consisting of (i) a p35 subunit protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least 84 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50, (ii) a p35 subunit protein comprising a fragment of a protein of (i), wherein said fragment is at least 40 amino acids in length, and (iii) a p35 subunit protein comprising at least 31 contiguous amino acids identical in sequence to at least 31 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:50; and wherein said isolated protein has a function selected from the group consisting of (i) eliciting an immune response against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:62, and SEQ ID NO:67, (ii) selectively binding to an antibody raised against an IL-12 protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:53, and SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:105, SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:62, and/or SEQ ID NO:67, and (iii) exhibiting IL-12 activity.
 18. An isolated antibody that selectively binds to a protein as set forth in claim
 17. 19. A composition comprising an excipient and a compound selected from the group consisting of: (a) a protein as set forth in claim 17; (b) a mimetope of any of said proteins of claim 19(a); (c) a multimeric form of any of said proteins of claim 19(a); (d) an antibody that selectively binds to any of said proteins of claim 19(a); and (e) an inhibitor identified by its ability to inhibit the activity of any of said proteins of 19(a).
 20. A method to produce a protein, said method comprising culturing a recombinant cell capable of expressing a protein as set forth in claim
 17. 21. A method to identify a compound capable of regulating an immune response in an animal, said method selected from the group consisting of: (a) contacting an isolated feline IL-18 protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has T cell stimulating activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (b) contacting an isolated feline caspase-1 protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein cleaves precursor form of IL-18 resulting in a biologically active IL-18; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; and (c) contacting an isolated IL-12 single chain protein with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has T cell proliferation stimulating activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity. 